by: Natalie Tom

The first week of school is a blur. New dorms, new classes. Rehashing your summer with old friends. Realizing you still have to figure out the student health portal, create your master calendar, and have a resume ready. Setting yourself up for a healthy and organized semester starts in the first couple weeks of school—here are some available resources to learn how.

Make Organization the Default

A couple of minutes spent familiarizing yourself with a couple of websites and putting organizational systems in place will make all the difference when you need it most. If you’re like me, you tend to overestimate your ability to remember important events—often leaving you scrambling to be punctual to club meetings or forgetting exactly when your professor hosts office hours.

However, I’ve since learned that using a digital calendar is key to organizing my life. Study session? Hangout with friends? Essay due at 11:59? Add it to the calendar. Not only does this help me plan out my day, but it also prevents me from double booking events.
A
s soon as I receive a syllabus, I add important due dates and
exams to my calendar. Pro tip: export your class schedule from experience USC to your calendar.

Especially in big, lecture-style classes, office hours are great for building relationships with your professors. Attending office hours helps you succeed in class and build a relationship with your professor. This will help you down the road when asking for a letter of recommendation or looking for career opportunities. When professors understand your interests and goals, as well as who you are as a person, they are almost always willing to give advice or connect you with colleagues. If going to office hours seems daunting, I would encourage you to go with a classmate and come prepared with specific questions about the material or the professor’s previous work. In my freshman year Global Health class, questions like “what experiences made you love global health?” helped me understand my professor’s interests and career trajectory, as well as opened up the conversation for me to share what I am most passionate about.

Staying Healthy in College

There’s nothing worse than waking up during finals week with a raspy cough and runny nose. However, the frat flu waits for no one. Especially because stress decreases the strength of your immune system, being prepared for sickness is key to recovering quickly.

Always keep essential products like masks, thermometers, cough drops, and tissues on hand. When sick, the last thing you want to do is go to the store.
If you are on the USC Meal Plan and are living in USC Housing, order a B.R.A.T.S. meal (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast, and soup) delivery by emailing diningbratmeal@usc.edu.
If necessary, schedule an appointment with a medical provider at the Student Health Center, covered by the required Student Health fee. USC Student Health does not provide “Class Excuse” notes, so emailing a professor about your situation is typically adequate.

What is the difference between Student Health Insurance and the Student Health fee?

The USC Student Health fee is required for all students. Only those taking strictly online classes are able to opt out. This fee includes things like basic medical care, sexual assault survivor support, and mental health support. The USC Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) is different from the mandatory fee. Although students are automatically enrolled in SHIP, they are able to opt out by signing a waiver stating that they have alternative insurance that meets University standards. SHIP includes access to things like higher-level care, gender-affirming care, and longer term mental health services.

Take Advantage of Transportation Resources

The USC Transportation fee includes both Fryft and metro transportation. If you are travelling within the DPS zone (about a 2 mile radius from campus) after 7pm, select the shared option on the Lyft app. Your ride will be free until 2 AM! All you need to do is sign in to Lyft with your USC account. Occasionally, I have had Lyft charge my Apple Pay, but it always gets refunded after the ride.

The transportation fee also covers the USC U-Pass Program for unlimited metro rides. To begin the registration process, pick up a physical card from the transportation office, then follow the instructions on the USC Transportation website. Some of my favorite places to go on the metro are Santa Monica, Korea Town, and Little Tokyo!

Activities Are Everywhere– Here’s How to Find Them

Living in LA, there are so many opportunities to explore diverse cultures, cuisines, and activities. Fryft and the metro are great ways to get there. Just last week, I went to Santa Monica for bagels and a beach day. It is only about a 45 minute ride and doesn’t require changing trains.

If you find yourself bored on a Thursday through Saturday night, Late Night SC events are great for meeting new people and doing fun activities. Late Night SC has student-hosted activities from 8:00-11:00pm planned specifically for USC students to meet up and enjoy fun experiences. The best part is that they are free! This makes it convenient to stop by for a quick craft or turn the event into an opportunity to connect with fellow students. I have been to succulent night, painting night, and movie night, just to name a few. When it comes to thriving in college, the people you surround yourself with are just as important as the grades you get in classes. Meeting new people can be intimidating, but USC has great events that will make building community much easier. In general, I have found that students are generally more willing to have a conversation with you than you might expect. Having people to rely on when life gets overwhelming is truly one of the most important things when it comes to thriving in college.

There Are Many More Resources Available to You

Understanding the resources available to you in college is key to making your life easier and more enjoyable. Instead of scrambling to figure things out when you are already busy and stressed, take the time to prepare yourself for sickness, plan out fun activities, and create a master calendar while you have the time. Your future self will thank you!

If you are interested in learning about more resources and tips from college students, stay tuned for the first episode of the Up at Night Podcast on September 29th (9:00 PM), hosted by USC Student Health, where we talk about topics from college relationships, to health resources.

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