Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Best of LA”
This week marked the last week of classes for my fall semester as a sophomore here at USC. It’s a little bittersweet. This semester has been a rollercoaster for me—but a really fun one, like California Screamin’ or something. Going through my first experiences with applying to internships, classes getting more intense, and getting more involved in my organizations has …
While you probably can google “LA nature” and find lots of photos of Griffith Park, Joshua Tree, Santa Monica, or any other nearby relaxing hike and beach locations, I’m here for those of you looking for a more ~chaotic~ take! This semester, I’m taking one of my Thematic Option classes, CORE 103: “Predicting Disaster: The Applied Science of Seismology”, on …
One of my favorite traditions at USC has been the week leading up to the football game against UCLA. The rivalry brings out some entertaining events, such as wrapping up all of the statues, such as tommy trojan, and having the Trojan Nights and USC Helene’s stand guard of Tommy in the center of campus and Hecuba in the USC …
Every year, I have attended Tyler the Creator’s music festival, Camp Flog Gnaw. Every year, I am never disappointed. But, this year I have a sour taste in my mouth, not because of the music, because of the fans. My brother arrived as per usual on Friday (it has been our tradition since freshman year to attend the festival), and …
One of the most anticipated weekends of the year, Family Weekend, has come and gone. Whether your family stayed home, your parents came, or you were visited by your parents, siblings, and a distant relative, the electric buzz on campus is fun for all. Although many students eagerly look forward to this weekend, there is also a bit of stress …
USC’s first ever Fall Break was a few weekends ago, and every student collectively breathed a huge sigh of relief—myself certainly included. My midterm schedule this semester has been both forgiving and unforgiving; although I’ve had no real heavy weeks of work, my tests have been spread out enough where I’ve had one or two almost every week throughout my …
If you are a yelp maniac like me, then you may have spent more than a few wasted hours looking at “top 10 study cafes near you” and many, many, many similarly titled pages. Sadly, the automated selection of popular LA cafes just isn’t sufficient for a college student seeking various criteria for a great study café (open until 2am? …
This year, USC decided to implement fall break like many other universities on the east coast to give students a well-deserved break from schoolwork. This allows students time to relax and take their mind off of school in the middle of the semester. The Engemann Student Health Center had taken data from prior years which showed a need for a …
For those of you who don’t know, I have A LOT of life-threatening food allergies… so many that even I forget what they are sometimes! I’m allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fish, eggs, lentils, peas, Dijon mustard, kiwis, and bananas (yeah… I know the bananas one is weird. I have no idea how that one happened). I always carry …
So you may have heard that Los Angeles doesn’t experience seasons… I’ll admit that this is halfway true. We don’t get snow or as many changing trees as other parts of the country, but we do get some chillier weather and our favorite fall traditions! Here are five ways to enjoy the fall in Los Angeles. Whatever team you claim …
The fall semester is halfway over! Midterm season is in full swing, teachers are starting to talk about final projects and papers, and Halloween is almost here! After living at USC and in downtown LA for over two years, I’ve learned a lot about all the exciting things to do off campus to get a break from school. This semester …
The Viterbi Summer Institute is a program put on through the Center for Engineering Diversity that gives minority students the opportunity to get acclimated to the school and the unfamiliar area prior to the start of classes. You basically get to experience college before starting your freshman year, making the transition a lot simpler. A total of 50 students are …
Yes, I’m in Writ-340 right now, and yes, my essay is due this Friday. But I’m not working on it right now. Why, you ask? Well, to put it simply, I don’t want to. Which brings me to the topic of this blog post – what to do when you should be doing something else. Option 1: Get Something to …
For most, nothing screams summer like the sweet aroma of a freshly made waffle cone and a fat scoop of your favorite ice cream flavor. Although the cold weather in Kansas City never stopped me from eating ice cream in the middle of winter, luckily in beautiful LA, everyday feels like summer. For an ice cream fanatic like me, the …
When I had committed to come to USC, my first challenge was choosing where I was going to live. USC has many different freshman residence halls that is perfect for all types of students. Since I received a merit scholarship from USC, I chose to live in McCarthy Honors College in the brand-new University Village. The next thing I thought …
I’m really into self-reflection at the moment, so as my first year has wrapped up, I wanted to look back at all of the cool opportunities I’ve had at USC, especially since I never saw myself doing these things as a computer science major in college. If you want to check out all of my Los Angeles adventures, you can …
Hey everyone, and happy weekend. We’re 3 weeks into the semester now, so things are getting moving! While I’m still getting used to the idea of being a junior, and the fact that I’m officially halfway done with college now, I’m excited to see what the remaining 4 semesters hold. Between classes, extracurriculars, and everything else, I’ve got quite the …
Coming from Guangzhou, China, halfway around the world, the most common question I got from my fellow students when I first came to USC was “Why?”. “Why move all the way to LA for college?” Moving so far away from home to study engineering was definitely a decision that I had to think through, but despite the difficulties of the …
One of my biggest fears applying to engineering schools was that I would lose my love for music and performance. In high school, I spent about five hours a day certain times of the year in theatre and dance rehearsals, and played piano often at home on the weekends. Many high school students have heard of the ominous “Sleep-Social Life-Schoolwork” …
Howdy everyone, and welcome back! Hope your past few months were full of fun and plenty of rest. This summer I had the opportunity to intern with California Resources Corporation, where I was working as a Facilities Engineering Intern at Elk Hills near Bakersfield, California, which was a great experience that let me see the field on a daily basis. …