Things I Wish I Knew Before Transferring to USC
by Alexis Peters ‘20
Transferring schools is a big deal when you’re in college. Starting all over again, changing states, losing friends, learning your way around a whole new campus: it can be pretty stressful. USC actually has a quite large transfer student population. So for all the transfers out there: remember you are not alone.
I transferred from one four year university to another, so the structure of my college experience wasn’t too different, but the culture was something to get used to. Being a spring transfer student made it difficult to adjust to LA life, from finding my way around the city, making new friends, and joining clubs. And although I have definitely gotten into the swing of things now, looking back on my first semester at SC, I realize there are some things I wish I had known before transferring.
So, here it is: 5 things I wish I knew before transferring to USC.
It’s nothing like freshman year
Everything feels brand new, but no one will be there to hold your hand anymore. Once you tell people what year you are, they expect you to be an expert about the dynamics of the school, but you’re still figuring things out. As a freshman you were coddled, and gently transitioned into your new life, but now it’s almost like every student for themselves.
Meal plan options suck
Why do the meal plan options go from unlimited swipes to 50 swipes per semester?? Why is there no in between?? I was not prepared to do so much cooking; this was my first taste of real adulthood. This semester, I’ve taught myself how to meal prep, how to create a well rounded shopping list, and how expensive groceries can be. But as the lazy college student I am, I wish I had a 14 meals a week to fall back on.
Greek culture isn’t vital to a good college experience
My previous college didn’t have greek life, and I had read online that some students felt excluded from the social scene if they didn’t participate in greek culture. I wasn’t too interested in joining Greek life, and before transferring, I was a bit concerned that I’d have to join a sorority to make any friends. But that is far from the truth. You can have a great social experience without ever stepping foot on the row. I joined some great clubs and met lots of people through my classes as well. I haven’t even been to any greek parties, but that’s definitely on my college bucket list.
LA people love to talk about traffic
I did not realize how much of a conversation piece traffic is in LA. Nearly every conversation with the Angelenos I met usually started off with some small talk about the traffic conditions that day. Oh, traffic was terrible this morning; I was so late. Man, traffic was terrible last night, am I right? I got so many questions about how the traffic is back in Chicago (my hometown). To be honest, traffic in Chicago is nothing to write home about, and I was really surprised that I kept having so many full length conversations about cars and road conditions, but that’s what people in LA find most noteworthy.
It will take a while to feel like home
Even though I made the right decision transferring to USC, it took a while for me to believe it. There were times where I really just missed home, there were times where I missed my old university, and there were times where I regretted my decision to transfer entirely. But that’s just a normal part of adjusting to change. Once I settled in, made some friends and found my place at SC, I felt like I was part of the Trojan family, and campus started feeling like home.
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