ESA is a free-to-attend organization, run entirely by students, that’s committed to advocating for sustainability in the USC community. From clothing swaps to panels with special guests, attendees are constantly learning how they can live a more sustainable life.

The end of the semester is looming. For seniors, job offers — or lack thereof — are only adding to the stress of a life-changing couple of months. As USC students, we have the privilege of studying in one of the world’s most renowned cities. But do students want to stay in LA after they graduate?

Anthony and Avery are two good friends of mine, and also two friends I’ll unfortunately be losing soon due to early graduation. As juniors, we’d typically have one year left at USC. But Anthony’s graduating this spring, and Avery’s graduating in the fall. I had them tell me about the pros and cons of their unique experience.

Taking 20 units is a lot of work, but it’s doable — and valuable. If I wasn’t taking 20 units, I wouldn’t be able to study everything I’m interested in. It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make, especially if it means not having to graduate late (and pay for extra semesters). USC is such a prestigious institution, and we pay a lot of money to be here. I figured I might as well make the most of my tuition, and there’s support in place to be able to do it.

One of the privileges of studying at a school like USC is the amount of academic opportunities there are. From unique classes, to clubs, to study abroad, and much, much more, the university puts a real emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. Around this time last year, something clicked in my brain: I really wanted to take advantage of everything that USC had to offer. So, I started considering a double major.

Going into my junior year, I knew I wanted to start making the most of my summers. With only two left, it was important for me to find an internship or some sort of career-advancing opportunity. As someone who’s heavily considering staying in Los Angeles after graduation, it was important for me to find said opportunity down here. The only problem was that I’m from Portland, not LA, so staying here over the summer would require more effort than it would if I tried to find a job back home.

After being at USC for two years, I’ve realized that getting ready to go back to school in college is very different than in high school. Especially if you’re from out of state or simply do not live at home, getting prepared for the new school year is more than just buying school supplies.