The question I am always asked whenever I am interacting with potential students and their families is “Do you have free time on weekends?” My response for the last three years has been “Of Course!” Don’t let the stigma of being an engineer convince you that you will always be stuck in your room while others are having fun. As an engineer, I face more work than the average student, but of course I still enjoy the full perks of the college experience. I get to hangout with friends on weekends, adventure through LA, join various clubs and go snowboarding on some weekends.
Last year I struggled to balance my work and my extracurriculars so I was not able to spend a majority of my free time working with the clubs that I really enjoyed. Luckily, this year I was prepared and ready to take on the world. Every Monday, I volunteer at a local elementary school with Troy Camp and then later on in the day attend my meeting for National Society with Black Engineers. I am a person that likes to stay busy and be active on campus, so I spend a lot of my time during the weekdays going to meetings or volunteering. The extra time I spend volunteering or going to meetings is time that I could be doing anything that I truly enjoy.
On average, I get out of class around 3-5 everyday and then either go to meetings or simply start my homework. There is plenty of time during the weekdays to really do anything that you would like to do on weekends as long as you are prepared and manage your time well. This year I was unable to go to any concerts during the weekdays, but I remember last year I was able to attend a couple concerts on Wednesdays and even Mondays. Weekdays have the same potential as weekends as long as you manage your time well.
Weekends are really 100% free to do whatever you want though. You can spend time with friends, lounge around in your apartment or even go snowboarding like I do on occasion. I like to spend my weekends either exploring California or simply catching up with friends who are busy during the week.
Depending on what time of the year it is, my weekends tend to vary. I like to switch each weekend up and do something new each time. Sometimes I will spend a whole day at Manhattan Beach and really embrace the California lifestyle, or I will do the polar opposite and adventure up to Mammoth Mountain to snowboard down some slopes. Weekends really don’t have any limits and can really be spent whatever way you want them to be spent. Sometimes they might be spent doing a little extra work or even spent hanging out with friends all day before kickoff for a night game. USC allows you to work hard during the week, but also allow you to experience anything your mind can think of. College is a time where you will be able to truly do anything your mind can think of as long as you prepare and mange your time well.
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