Hey everyone! Happy Sunday! I just got back from Hawaii for spring break which was amazing and it’s definitely hard to get back into work mode after that, but this week I wanted to share about what made me choose USC. Choosing college is by far the most difficult decision I had faced at that time, and it’s a huge commitment to choose somewhere for four years, but USC not only lived up to my expectations but far exceeded them.
Being from Orange County, you hear about USC all the time and everyone has the stickers on the car, but I absolutely fell in love on my first tour during my sophomore year of high school. I loved that it was near such a big city but still had such a collegiate feel. Ever since then USC was my dream school, and it hasn’t disappointed yet!
I could go on for days, but I’ll keep this list limited to my top 5 favorite parts of going to school here.
1. The ability to do more than engineering. Every other school I visited really emphasized that if you’re engineering student all you do is engineering. You might have time for a few random classes, but it’s almost all engineering. I love engineering, but I wanted to do a lot more than that. Here, you are encouraged to hang out with people from other majors, take classes in a wide variety of subjects, and participate in clubs outside the realm of engineering. I feel like I won’t just be a great engineer in the world, but a well rounded person as well.
Visiting the Norton Simon for my Art History Minor!
2. Size. USC was like the three bears story for me, it was just right when it came to size. It’s not too small but it’s not too big either. One of my favorite parts is that there’s always someone new to meet, but it’s almost impossible to walk across campus without seeing someone I know. There are enough students that there are almost infinite opportunities for clubs and sports, but there are so many smaller communities within so you don’t get lost. I have found a few niches within my sorority and different engineering organizations that I feel like I’ve found a place and am not just a little fish in a big pond. Also, the class size is ideal. The largest class I’ve taken was general chemistry which had about 100 students. I’m still amazed that even in classes this large, the professor is really willing to get to know each student, and it’s always a nice surprise when they know your name in passing. My engineering classes are closer to 30-50 people, which is just incredible! I definitely visited campuses where these classes were closer to 200 students, and I just didn’t feel like I could learn efficiently in that environment.
3. Personalized attention. Building on the personalized attention that comes with small class size, there are also so many resources for just engineering students. The women in engineering program is outstanding, and I really wanted somewhere that fostered diversity. There is also a career services office that, when I was applying, just sounded nice and has turned into one of the greatest resources and best parts of going here. They are so helpful with everything from interviews and resumes to organizing huge career events every semester. VARC has free tutoring, which again just sounded nice when I applied (I never needed a tutor in high school I was the tutor!) but has definitely saved me in a few classes. On top of this there are great advisors and whole offices just dedicated to making sure there is help for those who need it, and also always fun things to do!
Study packages at finals!
4. FOOTBALL! I was a cheerleader in high school and never missed a football game, so going to a college with strong athletics was really important to me. It’s amazing to see campus on game day, everyone is so spirited and enthusiastic about being on campus! Even when we aren’t doing as well as expected, there is nothing as amazing as gameday, when everyone puts aside whatever is going on to cheer for our team. The band is also absolutely incredible.
5. The people. It’s so cheesy and cliche, but the people who go to USC are really what make it amazing. Everyone here is so genuinely happy and is passionate about something. It is so inspiring to be surrounded by so many ambitious, motivated, talented, and intelligent people, and it constantly pushes me to be an even better version of myself. People help each other here and are kind to each other. It’s not a surprise the Trojan Family is so strong, because you really do become family with the friends you make here.
Just one family I have at school!
I could go on for days about all the other amazing things about USC- the weather, the top rated engineering classes, the opportunities for research, progressive degree programs, location, the beautiful campus, all the fun things to do in LA, the collaborative environment, the Trojan Family and Alumni network, and a million other things. USC has never yet disappointed me in any way, and I am so proud I’m a Trojan.
The most instagramable campus ever
I had a difficult decision a few years ago, I had it down to USC, UCLA, and MIT, but USC was the only place that felt like home when I walked on campus, and it is somewhere I knew I would thrive and become the person I was meant to be.
