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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Free Online Classes, Courses, and Certifications You Can Take With All Your New Extra Time
By: Karla Leung ‘22
With classes nearing an end, internships being canceled, and being stuck inside, you probably have a lot more time on your hands. If you’re looking to put that time into learning something new, try taking advantage of these free courses, classes, and certifications, whether it’s to add something to your resume or just to get your feet wet in something you’ve always wanted to try.
Tools to Stay on Top of All Your Online Classes
By: Karla Leung ‘22
With the move to online classes for a while, you’re probably spending a lot more time on your laptop — those classes that don’t allow laptops can’t say anything now! Of course there are hundreds of productivity tools out there, but these are a few that I use, or that I think would be useful to you all, to keep up and make online classes a bit easier.
Get a Head Start on Your New Year’s Resolution: Easy Healthy Changes to Make Now
By: Karla Leung ‘22
Not only is the year ending, but an entire decade, making it the perfect time to make some healthy changes for the better. But you don’t have to wait for the New Year to start living a healthier lifestyle, the best time to start is now! Here are some small and big changes you can make to live a healthier and happier lifestyle.
Bullet Journaling Can Fix Your Life
By: Karla Leung ‘22
Now that the semester is coming to a close, you might have realized that your current system of organization might not be working for you. Whether you might want to start getting things organized in time for finals or start for the new year/semester, bullet journaling is an amazing system to organize and keep track of everything going on in your life. Starting to bullet journal this semester has helped me organize my life and keep track of everything that needs to be completed. Although bullet journaling has a defined system, the premise of bullet journaling is to make it your own and be creative!
7 Reasons You Should Go Thrifting
By: Karla Leung ‘22
If you’re a broke college student who wants to shop, thrift stores are the way to go. Not only can you find super cool items, but you can save both money and the environment.
Academic Services & Tutoring for When You Need A Little Extra Help
By: Karla Leung ‘22
Classes can be difficult and it’s always beneficial to reach out for help. Of course, you often think to first contact your TA or professor to get some help in classes, but for cases when that’s not enough, you can always take these convenient and FREE options provided by USC! Classes can be hard, but it’s surprisingly easy to get some extra help!
The Best Ways to Get Around Los Angeles & Beyond from USC
By: Karla Leung ‘22
USC is in the heart of Los Angeles, making it extremely convenient to get around and explore the LA area. However, getting around can get pretty pricey. Knowing all your options, whether you want to road trip to San Francisco or just go shopping at The Grove, can help you save time and money.
Campus Safety: Earthquake Preparedness
By: Karla Leung ‘22
After the recent summer earthquakes — a 6.4 and later a 7.1 magnitude only 150 miles away from Los Angeles — earthquakes have become an even more pressing issue in California. Throughout the Los Angeles area, the quake and its aftershocks were felt and California residents have been increasingly concerned of impending earthquakes in the future. If you’re from out of state and have never experienced the threat of an earthquake, it’s important to be aware of the steps to take in case one hits during your time at USC.
Cafe Dulce: USC Alum James Choi & Dulce Favorites
By: Karla Leung ‘22
Dulce Founder James Choi graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Accounting ‘05, then went on to work at Ernst and Young. Whenever he had the time, Choi would help out his mother at her Swiss Chocolate shop in Palo Alto, but pursued accounting at Ernst and Young to financially provide for himself and his mother. However, when his mother started battling ovarian cancer, she wanted to follow her dream of starting a bakery in Little Tokyo. Neither Choi nor his mother knew how to run a bakery, but Choi agreed when his mother got a business partner on board. When his mother’s bakery business partner dropped out, Choi decided to put in his 2-week notice at Ernst and Young to open their first Cafe Dulce in Little Tokyo in 2011. A few years later, they opened another at the USC Village in 2017.
My Favorite Quaint Areas on USC Campus
By: Karla Leung ‘22
USC is an incredibly busy and bustling campus; walk down Trousdale during the afternoon and it seems like every single student is walking down that street too. Getting away from the crowds on campus can be difficult at times, but I have a few favorite places to get away and relax.
Plan B for Plan B: Emergency Contraception Around USC
By: Karla Leung ‘22
Accidents are a part of life, and in a pinch, it’s good to know where to find emergency contraceptives. Purchasing Plan B, a pregnancy test, or any other sexual health item can sometimes be embarrassing or nerve-wracking. Luckily, there are a variety of places around and off campus that provide discrete and convenient access.