It has been about a week since spring break and the university has switched to online classes for the remainder of the semester. Though I’m sad that the remainder of the semester is online, there are some benefits of being home! For starters, I get a full 9 hours of sleep every night and have been able to spend more time with my family. Online classes also give me more free time in the day because I never have to leave my seat! Fun fact: I actually solved a Rubix Cube for the first time while attending one of my online lectures! I also enjoy more leisure time to read books and go for runs to stay in shape.

The online format for my engineering classes is going a lot better than I thought it would be. Many of my professors use tablets and share their screen which makes it comparable to a whiteboard. One difficult part now that all the students are home is group study sessions. Instead of doing work together in a lounge, we have to video chat which makes it difficult to help or get help from peers.

On the flip side, I love how lenient professors are with deadlines for assignments as everyone is understanding of the situation at hand. I have yet to have a group presentation but have one scheduled for the end of the month so that should be interesting how it plays out. I would also assume that grading will be lenient for that assignment as well.

You don’t realize the amount of things you take for granted while on campus. I can’t wait for the day where I can get back on campus and study in Doheny Library (pictured below) or go out to eat with my friends at Parkside. Looking forward to all the great things USC offers is what keeps me going because I know life will return to normal in the future if we all do our part!

Mark Parent

Mark Parent

MAJOR: Mechanical Engineering YEAR: Class of 2022 HOMETOWN: Diamond Bar, California PRONOUNS: he/him/his INSTA: @mvparent On campus, I am part of the National Society of Black Engineers and was a Resident Assistant for the McCarthy Honors College. I have also conducted research in the Immersive Audio Lab and have a Sports Business & Management Minor!