I have written about this topic before, but I want to give another perspective on my housing experience now that I am a senior and am soon leaving USC. First off, watch the video below if you are unfamiliar with USC Housing…
Basically there are three types of housing at USC: dorm, suite, and apartment. Hopefully watching the video gives you a better idea of the three styles… The other Ambassadors have been writing about this topic as well, so please check out their blogs to read about all the different dorms.
In my specific case, I will be discussing my freshman housing, Parkside Arts & Humanities. Parkside is suite style living located conveniently near the Viterbi School and Parkside Restaurant. Parkside utilizes suite style living, where 8 people live in 4 rooms in a suite (2 people per room) and share 2 bathrooms and a common area. Not only was this living situation nice cleanliness-wise, but it also had air conditioning for our suite. The amenities at Parkside — air conditioning, personal study rooms, a brand new dining hall, “private” bathrooms… are a list that just goes on and on.
My roommate Kevin and I in front of our Parkside room
Compared to the other dorms on campus, Parkside was a bit less social due to the fact it is suite style and in a different area of campus. This is both a positive and a negative depending on how you look at it. Parkside was definitely an easy place to study and relax when I needed time alone, and social when I wanted it to be. However, if you are looking for a more “constant” social scene (for lack of a better word), the other dorms provide a better outlet for meeting and running into people on a daily basis.
All in all, whatever you decide on as far as housing goes should work out for you… It’s the people you meet and what you make of it all that makes the experience what it is! –and with that, I must say I enjoyed my time at PAHRC (as we call it) because I made the most of it 
For a complete list of USC Housing options, please check here and select the “Freshman” option.
