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
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Welcome Back Experience: Everything You Need to Know!
I hope everyone had a nice summer break! Just like the first day of classes is getting closer, so is the Trojan Welcome Experience! In the week before classes officially start, there’s new events every day to introduce you to the school, allow you to meet fellow Trojans, and celebrate the start of a new semester.
What should seniors know? A Q&A with recent grads
By: Ngai Yeung ‘23
I’m graduating in a month and I have no idea how to process the fact. What should us graduating seniors know about the next stage of life and how has our college experience prepared us for that? I talked to a handful of recent USC and Trojan360 grads to find out.
I Went to the USC Career Center, Here’s How It Went
By: Ani Antonyan ‘24
Transitioning from college life to the real world is exhilarating yet terrifying. It's hard not to think about your future— especially as graduation approaches. As the semesters fly by, I catch myself pondering whether I'm prepared for what’s ahead. Luckily, the USC Career Center is here to help USC students navigate our future and goals. Come with me on my adventure to sort out my career and show you the resources you can take advantage of.
International Students: How to apply for OPT at USC
By: Ngai Yeung ‘23
For international students who are graduating in May 2023, now’s the time to start applying for OPT if you want to stay and work in the United States after graduation. Even though I’m aware of OPT, I’d put off learning about how to actually apply for it until now because it seemed so complicated. Here’s a (hopefully) more straightforward step-by-step guide that incorporates the USC Office of International Service’s (OIS) video and website as well as outside sources.
The Introvert’s Guide to Networking
By: Ngai Yeung ‘23
Everyone loves to talk about how important networking is, but no one ever gives you a clear answer about how to do it. As a big time introvert, this is extra frustrating because chatting doesn’t come naturally to me. So when I saw that the USC Career Center was hosting a “Networking for Introverts” workshop (bless their heart), of course, I had to check it out. Here’s what I learned at the event, along with my own experiences as a reporter moonlighting as an extrovert:
What I've Learned From Recruiting Season (and What I Wish I Knew)
By: Lauren Liang ‘23
Before I was hired for my first internship, I was willing to accept any offer that came my way. During interviews, I curated my experiences to whatever I thought the recruiter wanted to hear. While this is permissible as long as you’re still truthful, doing so is a surefire way to end up at a company that might not be a great fit for you.
How to Stay Motivated while Job-Hunting
By: Antonia Le ‘22
I am a senior this year, and if my finals go well, I will officially graduate from USC this December. Sometimes, it’s fun to think about life beyond academia, but mostly, I’m just stressed out. Unlike many of my peers in the class of 2022, I haven’t secured a full-time role for after graduation. I’ve done countless interviews and written so many cover letters, but nobody has thrown me a bone yet. As I write this, I am thinking about how I have to do four interviews next week, and I would be lying if I said that I was particularly excited.
Tips For Balancing a Virtual Internship With School
By: Antonia Le ‘22
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, everything has gone virtual, even the good old internship. With nowhere else to go and nothing to do, I spent most of my Fall semester doing virtual work in conjunction on top of my academic studies. So, here are some quick tips for balancing a full-time course load with a part-time internship:
Are Unpaid Internships Worth It?
By: Antonia Le ‘22
For starters, if you’re looking for a simple “Yes” or “No” question, I’m suggesting that you ask literally anybody else. As with every question related to the workforce, answering this question is complicated, and I know that the answer is different for every field.