Wow where did the semester go?! It’s hard to believe I’m halfway through my sophomore year… This past semester was awesome! My classes, lacrosse, and my new involvements on campus were all great and I thoroughly enjoyed them. So with a recap of fall 2011, here’s to 2012!

My classes: As I predicted in the beginning of the semester, my Physics course was the hardest class for me this past semester. Luckily for me though I had the support of my professor, SI leaders, and a great study group. The majority of my study group was also in my Statics course, and even my Building Science class, both of which I learned a lot from and did well in. My most interesting class was in fact my General Education course titled “American Bestsellers Since WWII.” Although we ran short on time towards the end of the semester, we were able to read Harry Potter, Twilight, The Lovely Bones, Ragtime, Lolita, The Satanic Verses, Persepolis, and Into the Wild and debate what made these novels true bestsellers.

VSA: This is my first semester as a VSA and it has been a great experience! I’ve loved meeting prospective students and answering questions about USC and Viterbi life, and I can’t wait to meet more of you next semester.

SWE: Being on SWE Officer Council as Historian has allowed me to learn even more about the different fields of engineering and meet more of the girls within Viterbi. We’ve had a great time bonding, meeting corporate representatives, and giving back to the community with our service days on campus. The officers even had the opportunity to go to Chicago this semester for the SWE National Conference, where we learned leadership skills, met with and learned from professionals in the industry, and gained more practice speaking with recruiters. Some girls were even offered jobs directly from the conference! Overall it was a great weekend filled with learning and fun bonding times, and I can’t wait to go back to Chicago.

Lacrosse: Although the season doesn’t actually begin until next semester, we did practice twice a week this past semester in “Fall Ball,” and even played a tough scrimmage against UCLA, which we celebrated with a midweek trip to the In-N-Out in Westwood. We can’t wait for the season to begin in January!

Gamma Phi Beta: Joining a sorority this semester has been an excellent decision for me, and I have made countless wonderful memories bonding with my sisters and going to our various sorority events. Can’t wait for next semester!

In addition to all the exciting things I have already written about, I also had the chance to write a paper with my research professor on solar energy and the possibility of a city running solely on renewable energy. Now to wait and see where the article will be published.

With finals over, I will be spending my winter break at home in San Diego, CA, spending time with family and friends and celebrating the holidays. My parents have kindly waited for me to decorate our Christmas tree, so I can’t wait to do that at home!

Below are some of my favorite pictures and memories from fall 2011, hope you enjoy them!

Talk to you again next semester! Happy Holidays!!