You’ve probably heard it before: You’ll never run out of things to do in LA. And it’s true! Los Angeles is an amazing city, with an unparalleled diversity of attractions to enjoy with friends, family, or for a little peace of mind. I can honestly say that even four years of school isn’t enough time to see them all.
Even as a mechanical engineering major, I’ve made plenty of time to go sight-seeing around Southern California, and it seems like I’m always headed somewhere new. This past Tuesday was no exception when my Architecture 106 class, Introduction to Architecture, went on a field trip to the Gamble House in Pasadena, CA.
Exterior of the Gamble House
Built in 1908, the former private home is now open for touring because of its interesting design and reflection of a bygone era. My class and I were lucky enough to have a private tour through the restored home and then get back to school all within two hours. I recommend visiting the Gamble House if you like architectural design or want to learn more about what living in LA was like 100 years ago. And bring a camera!
Front Entrance
One of my favorite things about USC is the opportunity we have to take fun, elective classes. Just last semester I took Drawing 101 and now I’m taking architecture! Because my class is offered exclusively to non-architecture majors, everyone is genuinely interested in the material, and our majors range from Mechanical Engineering (me!) to Business to Fine Arts to Video Game Design and more. That’s something I love about electives: you meet students from all over the university, discover common interests, and learn cross-disciplinary ideas.
Studying engineering at USC doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck in a lab all day or buried in a text book all night. Even if you take a full course load every semester, you can always step outside and enjoy the cloudless, breezy, sunny day, and go try something new… And if you take Architecture 101, you might even visit the Gamble House.
A Sleeping Porch
