This blog post is part of a series written by the Viterbi Student Ambassadors on our summer 2011 plans and beyond. For more posts on this topic, check out Viterbi Voices.

So. This is it. My last blog post of this school year… And my, what a year it has been.

From schoolwork to social events to rushing a fraternity to trying a new job in Academy Coaching to switching rooms at the semester to sports games to impromptu trips to utter spontaneity, the past year has been a whirlwind and one heck of a ride. It started with me studying abroad last summer in Paris, France and getting to do things I have never done before and might never again (ex: running with the bulls) and it will end here in Los Angeles at USC with the conclusion of my junior year here at USC.

I had a great time blogging this year, whether it be a blog with the rest of my VSA colleagues to let you know what USC is like or just alone, letting my thoughts out and destressing some. It will be weird to not blog over the summer, but I will continue to tweet (likely almost daily) as @ryanseams . Additionally, you can follow the VSA’s in general via their Twitter account @viterbistudent and the list of VSAs @viterbistudent/vsa . There will be some new faces for incoming freshman and prospective students come next Fall so get excited!

Anyway, back to what this post is supposed to be about (at least according to the title) — my summer 2011 vacation (if you can even call it that). This summer, for the first time, I will not be going “home”. Home as I know it is my parents house in Pleasanton, CA. My first summer I did an internship in San Jose at Cypress Semiconductor and lived at home, last summer I lived at home all of the time I was not studying abroad. This year, however, I will be staying in Los Angeles and taking summer classes.

This summer I will take EE 352 at USC, or Computer Organization and Architecture, and Chemistry I at CSU Dominguez Hills. These two classes will help me progress further towards my major (and make for a much desired T/W/Th Fall semester schedule). I look forward to the challenge of summer classes (lots of material packed in a tight window) and discovering what living alone full time really means.

Other than that I plan on trying to learn how to code and develop apps for Android and/or iOs. These skills would prove invaluable and it might be a fun side hobby to the classes I am taking this summer.

The last thing I will be doing is prepping for my new “jobs” of next semester (if you will) as President of both IEEE and HKN, electrical engineering study societies.

To all of you that chose USC, I will be at the new student Luau come next Fall to greet you with a smiling face and much enthusiasm… The year has drained me for now but I will be rejuvenated and hungry once summer ends.

Enjoy the sunshine

R