After choosing USC, the next item on my to-do list was deciding which dorm I was going to live in. Needless to say, the process of picking a residence hall included many hours of online research, and combing through forums and blogs, which only resulted in more indecision. It seemed like there were endless options, and I wanted to find the right fit for me. Luckily, my freshman year I was assigned to Parkside Arts and Humanities!
I was a bit hesitant about A&H at first. Although it was one of the newest residential colleges on campus, many of the forums said Parkside was anti-social and far away from the center of campus, for which it was dubbed “Parkside Darkside”. Nonetheless, I was so excited to be at USC that I put my stress about housing aside, and I soon discovered that message boards and blogs could be misleading. I started the year ready for a new experience and I was not disappointed.
Going to the football game with Parkside A&H Third Floor!
Fast forward one year, and I look back at my freshman year living at Parkside A&H as one of my best college experiences, and here’s why:
- Suite mates- Parkside offers suite-style living, which means that you automatically start with 7 built-in friends. Each suite has 4 rooms, with 2 people per room. I love that my suite mates are from all over the country and the world. I have suite mates from as far away as Brazil and Sudan and as close as right here in Los Angeles!
- No Community Bathrooms- Another huge perk to living at Parkside is that each suite has 2 bathrooms, so you can say goodbye to community bathrooms!
- Air Conditioning: Although it would be wrong to complain about the weather in Southern California, it can get hot in the dorms at the beginning and end of the year, so having AC is a big plus.
- The Food: Parkside Café is the best dining hall on campus in my opinion, and it’s right next to A&H! Also, foodies will not be disappointed by Tuesday Night Master’s Dinners, where residents get the chance to try food from all over the world while conversing with live-in faculty masters about a different topic each week.
- Classes: Engineers Rejoice! Parkside will be very close to all your engineering classes, and is only a short walk, bike ride, or skate from the Engineering Library, Ronald Tutor Hall, Kaprielian Hall, and the rest of the engineering buildings.
My freshman year dorm at the end of fall semester (It was so clean!)
Overall, Every residence hall is great in its own respect and comes with a unique experience of campus life, but Parkside A&H has been where I have formed some of my closest friendships. Know that you will have a great USC experience wherever you live, and I hope you enjoyed my (slightly biased) review of the best dorm on campus.
Until next time,
-Jose
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