Choosing a college to attend for the next 4 years is hard. It’s hard to feel confident in your decision when you don’t know how you’ll acclimate, respond, or enjoy the school you commit to – something I felt incredibly scared about. But after choosing USC, I can confidently say that I made the right choice.

The Campus

First and foremost, look at the campus. To this day, I have these existential moments where I fully process how lucky I am to go to a collegiate, brick, green, and FLAT school in the middle of Los Angeles. Our weekly Farmers’ Market, random puppy pens, and endless study spots make it even better.

The Classes

Viterbi advocates for a curriculum that mixes theory and hands-on learning. As a CSBA major, I can attest to this. My classes have been incredibly fun thanks to the projects we work on, like building a mini Amazon and simulating Ticketmaster transactions. But I’ve also been able to learn the theory behind the data structures we use today, how x86-64 CPUs communicate with the operating systems then run on, and how to solve complex optimization problems. I am, without a doubt, prepared to pursue any career related to Computer Science thanks to the challenging but incredibly informative Viterbi curriculum.

The Opportunities

As a sophomore undergraduate student, I am receiving funding to pursue research among prestigious and celebrated faculty in labs that are resonate with my values, interests, and future goals. This is rare, and something USC not only provides students, but pushes them to pursue. Mixed with the Trojan Network and incredible students willing to support you during recruitment, you’ll be sure to get offers and opportunities that you wish to receive as long as you work diligently.

Kory Arfania

Kory Arfania

MAJOR: Computer Science/Business Administration YEAR: Class of 2025 HOMETOWN: Laguna Hills, California PRONOUNS: he/they INSTA: @k.arfania I've been a part of the first executive board of Shift SC, a student organization aiming to promote human-centered and socially responsible technology through numerous initiatives and outreach programs, volunteered with the Viterbi Impact Program, and worked with the Presidential Working Group as a member of their first Student Sustainability Committee! I was also an intern at an edge-AI startup, where I create a Python cli able to scrape YouTube videos and populate a datalake with content for the ML team. And I'll be an undergraduate research assistant in the USC Center for AI in Society this year!