I can’t believe we’re already at the end of another semester! It’s been an awesome few months, and I’ve made a lot of new memories. While there have been way too many amazing moments to count, here are my top 10 from this semester.
1. Watching us beat Notre Dame at the last football game
Instead of flying back to Florida for Thanksgiving break, I headed down to my Grandma’s house in San Diego, which meant that I was able to drive back up for the last home football game of the season! Seeing us beat Notre Dame for the first time since I’ve been at USC was such an amazing experience, I know I’m going to remember it for the rest of my life!
2. Exploring the LA Abandoned Zoo
I had heard people mention the abandoned zoo, but it’s one of the less popular LA treasures. When my friends from home came to visit me, I knew I had to take them! Just a few miles north of campus, the zoo is at in the mountains near Griffith Park and had some awesome views. We got to crawl in the animal exhibits and get a lot of cool photos. I definitely plan on going back!
3. Being on the executive board of my social sorority
One of the most rewarding experiences of my college career is definitely my decision to be the Director of Standards and Ethics this past year on my sorority’s executive board. I put in a lot of work to help improve the lives of my 200+ sisters, and I made tons of new friends along the way. It has definitely improved my leadership and communication skills, and I’m so happy that I decided to take on this role.
4. Making the drive to San Francisco for the first time
I had never been to Northern California, so getting to go to the Stanford game up near San Francisco was an awesome new experience for me! It was such a beautiful drive, and it was nice to have a weekend to explore a new city with my friends. Plus, it was awesome to walk around the city in my USC gear after our win!
5. Seeing Dan + Shay at the El Rey Theater
LA is full of amazing talent, and I loved getting to see one of my favorite bands headline their first show ever this semester! Dan + Shay, a small country band, put on a show for a few hundred people at the El Rey Theater, and Ian and I went together to see them. It was a beautiful venue, and small enough that they were able to unplug their guitars and microphones and sing to us acoustically. It was an experience I’ll never forget.
6. Exploring the Original Farmers Market at the Grove
Because nothing can be typical in LA, the Original Farmers Market at the Grove is less of a traditional farmers market and more of an open air food court. And everything sold there is absolutely amazing, and cheap! I accidentally stumbled upon this place in October, and I’ve been back four times since!
7. Talking to potential students at Discover USC!
Sometimes I forget that just three years ago I was at the peak of the college application process. This semester I got the opportunity to give lab tours to interested potential students at Discover USC, and it was incredibly rewarding! I met a lot of wonderful students that reminded me of myself in high school, and was able to show people why I’m so happy to attend the school of my dreams.
8. Eating an authentic Cantonese meal
This semester, one of my Chinese students took me to his favorite restaurant, where they served food just like they would in certain Cantonese-speaking provinces of China. My student spoke Mandarin, so there was a slight language barrier, but I let him order for me and ended up trying some crazy things that I never would have otherwise! It was really interesting to see the differences in how our cultures eat.
9. Learning new life skills in CE 473
I’ve written about how much I enjoy this class, but just having completed the full semester of it, I’m even more happy with it than before! In this Finance, Law, and Ethics class for engineers, I learned a lot of applicable life skills that I thought engineers missed out on. I’m so glad I got to take it, and I look forward to having more classes like it in the future!
10. Sharing a room with my 3 best friends
When I moved to USC, I had always had my own bedroom, and wasn’t sure if having a roommate was going to be for me. I ended up loving it, and this semester I actually shared my room with my three best friends. It was a really comfortable and welcoming environment, and I loved having my friends there to support me at all hours of the day. I’m living with them again this spring and couldn’t be more excited.
Overall, it’s been a wonderfully crazy semester, definitely one for the books. I can’t wait for what the spring has to bring!
