UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
STUDENT BLOG
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Navigating Your First Year as a USC Trojan
by Lanie Brice
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Navigating Your First Year as a Spring Admit
by Lanie Brice
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How to Balance Your Social Life During Finals
by Donal Buckley
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Study Tips and Habits to Get Through Finals Season
by Lauren Liang
looking for a specific read?
Here’s What Self Care Really Is (4 Tough Love Tips)
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
At the end of a long day, you might put on a face mask and light a scented candle. Or maybe you draw yourself a bath and pour yourself a cup of tea to de-stress. This is what most of us would call self care. But I am going to push the boundaries here, and argue that none of that stuff is self care. It’s just the capitalist side of it. Really taking care of yourself is so much more than that, and I believe that these days more than ever, people are forgetting that. This is a time in history where the pressure to succeed is often greater than our willingness to be happy. It’s a time when being overly busy is applauded even when it comes at the expense of your well-being. You can’t just slap on a face mask and cover up for the missing hours of sleep, or the amount of adrenaline coursing through your veins from all the stress.
The Trojan Farmer’s Market
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but every Wednesday—right on USC’s campus in McCarthy Quad—is a farmer’s market. It’s honestly such a great system considering that USC is kind of in a food desert. Meaning: it can be pretty difficult to get fresh and nutritious food options around here. The introduction of Trader Joe’s and Target in the village has been a total lifesaver, but it’s so nice to have the farmer’s market to supplement your fridge stash with fresh, local, beautifully glistening produce, and support local businesses at the same time. Haven’t checked it out? Read on to find out what amazing stuff you’re missing at the farmer’s market, and why farmer’s markets are better than traditional grocery stores:
College Budgeting 101
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
Ah, money management. As broke college students, it’s something we all inevitably struggle with. We’re new to this big wide world, and now we have to figure out how to responsibly use money. And studying at USC, there are so many amazing opportunities that, unfortunately, cost money. So it’s extra important to manage your moolah wisely. Here, I’ll share a few tips that I’ve found to be helpful when you’re starting to budget for the first time in college.
Learn to Love Your Own Company
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
One thing that I think is important for everyone to learn is how to enjoy your own company. I don’t mean that you have to break up with your significant other or cut ties with your best friends, but it’s good to spend time with just yourself. They say that friendship isn’t necessary for survival, but it’s what makes surviving worth it. And I agree. Friendship and companionship is wonderful and valuable. But if you can’t enjoy your own company, how can you expect anyone else to do the same?
6 Things to Consider When Declaring a Minor
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
It’s my junior year at USC, and I have decided to declare a minor. You can do it too! Sometimes it feels like it’s way too late to change your mind. It feels like it’s way too late to try something new or discover a new passion. I know that feeling. I thought I was too old to wander into new academic territory; after all, I’m a junior, and I’m adding a completely new minor to my academic plan. Maybe there’s a minor you’ve been eyeing or a double major you’re considering, but you wonder if it’s too late, or too much work, or too difficult. First of all, I would recommend that everyone should look into a minor, just because there are so many cool things to study, especially at USC, and your college years are the perfect opportunity to explore your passions and interests. Second, if you are considering adding a minor, there are six things you should take into account:
Going 0 Waste in College
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
Maybe you’ve heard this term thrown around before: zero waste. Maybe you think it’s impossible. There’s just no way that a person can make absolutely no trash or waste in life, let alone in college. And I will admit to you, it is very, very difficult. When you’re trying to live a zero waste or a minimal waste lifestyle, you have to be conscious of every purchase and every event, and every meal.
I Went to the Career Center for the First Time
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
Before this week, I had never been to a career fair, I had never visited the career center, and I wasn’t doing internships that were even remotely related to my major or career interests. Oh. And I’m a first-semester junior. Watching my friends look for internships and jobs to boost their resume made me happy for them, but also a little scared for myself. Was I behind? Did I need to be networking my butt off in the way all my friends were?
I Ate a Raw Vegan Diet For a Week in USC Dining Halls
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
You may have heard of vegetarian and vegan diets. But what the heck is raw vegan? Let me explain. Raw veganism is a diet in which you don’t eat any meat or dairy products, and you don’t eat anything cooked. So what do you eat, you may ask? Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouts. “Why would you do this to yourself?” This was a question my friends asked of me many times. My plan was actually to eat raw vegan for two weeks, and I wanted to do it as a sort of cleanse, so that I could have a fresh, healthy start for the new year. Except, two weeks didn’t really work out for me… But, we’ll get to that later. My goal for this raw vegan journey was to eat super fresh foods, cleanse my body, and maybe have glowing skin and silky hair by the end of it. Since I have a meal plan (and also for experiment’s sake), I planned to exclusively eat food from the dining hall. So, let’s begin!
How to Make Time for the Things You Love
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
Okay, I’m going to be real. When I tell people that I love to read, I often hear in response, “Oh, I do too. I just don’t have any time to read.” Which I think is a terrible excuse. (Sorry if that was the excuse you were going to use too.) But I just find a statement like that patently false. Because if you really love something, and you truly enjoy it, you would make time for it. So, just be honest: You don’t like reading all that much, so, in your free time, you’re watching Netflix. You say: No, no, no! You’ve got it all wrong! You say: I love to read. Really. I do. But after studying all day, Netflix is just the easiest way to relax. If I didn’t have to do so much reading for class, I would read for pleasure too, honest. Alright, sure. I believe you. But, I propose a challenge for you. I want to challenge you to make time to do something you love this week.
A Comprehensive List of the Best Campus Study Spots
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
I recently embarked on a quest to find the perfect study spot. I wanted to find a place that was perfect to set up camp for a couple of hours and chug through some homework. And if you’re like me, the two main libraries on campus just don’t cut it. They can get pretty crowded sometimes, and it just isn’t the kind of atmosphere I want for a long study session. So, here it is: Your comprehensive list of nearly all the places to study on campus that aren’t Doheny or Leavey. Let’s hit it!
USC Football When You Hate Football
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
I stood in the Coliseum, the crowd bellowing their support for the Trojan football team all around me. I clapped my hands. This would be fun. This would be fun. I had snagged a spot in the front row, which meant I couldn’t really see everything that happened on the field, but I got to wave to my mom when the Fox camera guy came up to film us. The girl standing next to me kept shaking her pom-pom in my face, so I couldn’t be sure Mom even saw my whole face. Maybe just a peek.
Starting off Strong for a Stress Free Semester
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
Here we are, already getting into the swing of things on campus! We’ve moved in, had reunions with our friends, knocked out the cobwebs from the summer and… now it’s time to actually get some work done. What? I know, I sort of miss summer too, but it’s time to buckle down. How can you start this semester off right so you don’t end up sobbing into your textbooks in the back of Leavey Library come midterms? (Unfortunately, I think we’ve all been there.) Here are some great tips that worked last semester to keep me sane.