One of my main worries when coming to USC was how I would adjust to life in the city after growing up in a small rural town.
I was raised in Davis, California, a small town of 60,000 located in Northern California that is famous for its hippies and bicycles. My city had only one high school, and despite living on the other side of town as my high school, I’d bike to school almost every day because of the proximity. Crime was extremely low, and you couldn’t go to the local supermarket without running into someone you know.
I thought that Switching to a Los Angeles lifestyle has definitely had its challenges, but the majority of my experiences with the switch have been nothing but great, mostly because USC has the same strong sense of community that I feel back home. Approximately 95% of the people who live on campus are freshmen. This allows me to be around people my age at all times. My dormitory, Birnkrant, is super social and diverse, so I can always talk to people about a wide range of subjects. The sense of community at USC can be felt most at USC football games, where Trojan fans from around the country all gather together to celebrate this school.
Of course, Los Angeles has some special traits that you can’t find anywhere else. It is special in that that I can choose to go to the beach, ski in Big Bear, go on a mountainous hike, or do anything in between all on a given day. Everything is extremely accessible and hardly more than an hour away. Not to mention, Staples Center (home of the Lakers, Clippers, and Kings) is only 2 miles away!
Living in the city also makes networking with companies much easier than if I still lived in a rural town. Hundreds of corporations, start-ups, and entertainment firms have headquarters or correspondents in Los Angeles. Going to school right in the middle of it all makes internships and research opportunities much more accessible.
Deep down, I know that I’m not a city person, nor will I ever be one. That’s just how I am. However, I have grown to love the adventures that come with living in Los Angeles, and I am delighted that I am able to experience everything that living in Los Angeles entails. I would definitely like to move back to Davis when everything is said and done, but I will surely take full advantage of everything that USC can offer through its location until that moment comes!
-Nathan Curtis
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