University of Southern California Top Questions

Congratulations, kid! You’re off to college! And now is the time to kick things into high gear. You think you worked hard in high school? Well, think again. College is a whole different playing field. You will no longer be competing with your classmates for acceptance into universities. Instead, you will be competing with your peers for internships, jobs, and research opportunities. You will be fighting for your career, for your livelihood. So take my advice and prepare yourself. Go above and beyond what is expected of you. Read ahead. Write what essays you can long before they’re due. Give yourself time to meet with your professors and discuss what you can do to improve, even if you’re already doing wonderfully. Because in college, there’s no such thing as being good enough. You should never have true free time; because there’s always something that you can be doing to push forward, to get one step closer to making your dreams into a reality. So take advantage of all the opportunities that are presented to you and don’t slow down. Your future is within your grasp, but only if you’re willing to chase it.

During my senior year, I was training for the AIDS Lifecycle, a 565 mile and 7 day bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise HIV/AIDS awareness. At the time, I didn’t view HIV/AIDS as a potential career specialty; however, becoming an HIV/AIDS specialist has become my primary career objective. In retrospect, I would encourage myself to become more involved with the San Francisco HIV/AIDS community after the ride so that I would realize my true passion in life sooner. While there is no pressure to immediately choose a career, having discovered one’s interests earlier on in college is beneficial because one can better utilize the resources available. Furthermore, I would encourage my younger self to always keep the big picture in mind. It is essential to have a greater idea of life and those around you, otherwise the world becomes too overwhelming and each mistake seems devastating. Through this lens, errors are far from apocalyptic; rather, these failures are the means to achieving success because sometimes falling the hardest is an awakening to what we are truly capable of.

If i could go back to my high school senior year i would have applied to many different colleges and have met the deadlines. I would have asked more questions regarding different colleges or universities and i would have researched more about financial aid instead of assuming it was too dificult and that i would not received any. I also would have came straight to college instead of taking time off. I also would have met with my high school couselor and discussed more information regarding majors.

In high school I was not as involved as I wish I would have been. It was largely due to my poor self-esteem at the time. Now in college I am very much involved and my confidence is at its peak level. The one very important thing that I would advice myself would be to join more clubs and organizations on campus and to be more outgoing. Coming into college, I was initially shocked by how involved the students at the University of Southern California are. At first I did not involve myself as I should have. I knew so many of my peers who were running for head positions of different organizations, receiving many internship offers, and who were just extremely involved. They were a motivating factor in my current involvement as an undergraduate student at USC. However, I feel like I am constantly playing catch-up to be a competitive student with the rest of my peers. I strongly believe had I planted the seed of involvement when I was in High School, the transition to being involved in college would have been much easier.

College not only provided escape from my crazy, idiosyncratic family, it allowed me to finally get something I've always been told to get and only dreamed of having: a life. I am responsible for making my own mac and cheese, washing my own dirty socks, and waking my own butt up at seven in the too-early morning. Sure, I have to pay for practically everything on my own, but there's a lesson in that, much deeper than the usual "so this is financial responsibility!" I come from a low-income family that struggles to pay rent and my aspiring heart was set on the University of Southern California and all its jaw-dropping tuition glory. Trust me, I certainly learned to appreciate every dollar I have earned thus far and it wouldn't have happened if I wasn't at this school. So why USC, you ask. Well, Jim, the academics are fantastic. It can be stressful, tiring, overloading, but at the end of the day, I feel like my work means something. At the close of each semester, I grow more confident that I am going to go somewhere after this. That in itself is irreplaceable.

Being a member of the USC Dragon Boat Team has been one of the most valuable experiences I have had at the university so far. During my very first class on my first day of school at USC, I realized I was no longer in high school. Sitting amongst 300 other students inside Taper Hall’s lecture room, I felt overwhelmed. When I joined the Dragon Boat Team, however, my earlier feelings of anxiety were completely gone. My teammates offer useful words of advice, guidance, encouragement, and most importantly, comradeship. The sport has also given me a means for relieving stress. Especially when the dates and deadlines of midterms and essays approach, I find myself in great need of a “pick-me-up.” Finally, dragon boat racing has instilled in me a new sense of determination, and focus. From dragon boat racing, I’ve learned a lot about myself. It has taught me that when fueled with ambition and perseverance, there is no limit to what I am capable of accomplishing. I apply the same kind of enduring passion and dedication to my pursuit of a degree in biochemistry as I put into racing for the USC Dragon Boat Team.

I have learned a lot about myself personally. Everyone thinks college is about learning about a major but it is also about learning about yourself. Decisons you make when you are on your own and also the mistakes you make tell a lot about yourself based on why you made those decisions. Reflecting back on some of the things I've done while in college has showed me parts of myself that I like and some that I really don't. Recognizing these things can help me become the person I want to be. You learn what you like and don't like, what your real goals are, what you look for in friends and relationships. I learned a lot, including that I love learning!

I've discovered that I exist in order to achieve something beyond just "my purpose." College has taught me who I am, who I am not, so many different lifestyles. It has taught me who people are behind the facades they put on for society and it has taught me that despite our flaws, we are changing the world--even if only a bit each day--by pursuing our visions, bringing our best to the table and collaborating. We live to lift each other up and to collaborate--between fields of study, between states, between countries and cultures. College has taught me how attainable each of our purposes that God has called us for are and has directed me toward my specific calling as well. I've learned that I'm not studying to get good grades, to get into law school--to look just toward the next step.Life is about being a friend, a good student, a good sister, and good servant to others--These are thew ays we become agents of change. College gives each of us the resources to open our minds, to work together, and to learn from the cutting edge of research.

As a sophomore, my college experience has already given me more than I could ever dream of. I have met so many diverse and amazing people, attended numerous cultural events, and explored L.A., one of the best cities in the country. I am working for an almost unparalleled education, and when I graduate, will become part of the most loyal alumni network ever. I have created lasting relationships with many professors which will help me find a job in the future, and I have become a member of a national, professional, architecture fraternity which has provided not only networking opportunities, but a family in which to belong. I have never been bored in L.A. or at USC, and it has taught me countless life lessons and has shaped me into an educated young lady who will make an impact on the third-world nations with the designs I have to offer to better their countries.

In choosing to go to the West coast for college (coming from the Midwest), I have been exposed to a painfully different cultural atmosphere. Culture shock and a spoiled freshman roommate taught me to be open to new people and ways of life. The school spirit made me feel a part of something larger and distracted me from homesickness. As a junior, I am over-involved in classes, extra-curricular activites, and school sports, but I am loving every moment. Furthermore, as a commit-o-phobe, I was wary about travelling four hours by plane to get to school after every break. The concentrated Environmental Studies Department has solidified my interest in environmental studies and has provided me with study abroad opportunities I have never imagined possible. Now I am Master SCUBA certified, have many solid and close friendships, and I cannot wait to get back to Los Angeles! I feel a deeply rooted connection to my department, faculty and advisors, and the purpose of USC. Getting through the rough patches has allowed me to become a focused student and friendly Trojan. I love spreading my Trojan Spirit to the Midwest! FIGHT ON!

My college experience has helped me find to my true personality by granting freedom to choose and responsibility to stand up for myself. On the academic side, the quality of my overall educational experience (professors, media, facilities, content, classes) has been challenging and capturing, evoking true interest and engagement in academic fields I had never cared about before. In addition to academics, the Trojan Family (as the entire USC community calls itself) provides a familiar human environment of friendship and support, academic stimulation as well as the opportunity for extracurricular and athletic involvement. Because USC is such a huge institution, there are niches for every individual. The geographical setting greatly adds to my USC experience, since Los Angeles on the one hand and the larger Californian environment on the other hand contribute to the educational aspect by establishing suitable frameworks for personal relations to academics. The healthy balance between social life (including athletics, extracurricular involvement, etc.) and academic engagement consists at USC; in addition, students get the chance to fully develop their own personality and figure out their future (educational) careers; throughout this process, they neither are not left alone nor governed by superior institutional branches and regulations.

I have gotten a lot of valuable experience out of my college experience. College teaches me how to be independent and uses my own judgment. For example, I have to choose my major and pursuit my future career. University of Southern California is very competitive which gave me motive to study and gave me real-world experiences. Also, my courses all require teamwork and presentation, which build me a lot of valuable work skill and social skill in my future career. I think to attend a college is very important because the higher the education you finished, the more skills and knowledge you have for your career path and I believe that education is treasure. I am the first generation in my family to attend college. When I was a child my parents always told me that how much they want to attend a college and how important they think education is valuable for people. I strongly agree with them and so decide to attend a college for continue our goals and bright my future.

College has been so valuable for me. I took two years off of school after I graduated high school; because I was not sure what I wanted out of life or what I wanted to do. I then took a job at a major retail store and worked there for the next two years. I did not like working retail because it was not going to get me anywhere I wanted to be in life. Two years of working at that job made me want to better myself. So I started to take basic courses at the local community college. I realized that I had missed school so much and that it was so fun being in school and learning. After my first semester of school I was still unsure of what I wanted to major in and what was going to be the job that was going to be fulfilling. So the next semester I took a couple classes that might answer that question. I found that I really enjoyed an education class that I took. Then I though maybe I should work towards being a teacher. I am greatful for college and how much it has helped me.

As a spring admit to USC, I realized that I have missed out on quite a bit of fun. The 'Welcome Week' events are supposedly "awesome" and "crazy," according to many fall admits. However, I came to the realization that college experience is not just about meeting cute guys at parties and having the time of my life. College is actually a time frame in a person's life when he/she, including myself, becomes truly independent. After attending college, it is up to me to get my lazy self out of bed to attend 8 o'clock classes or seek job opportunities during on-campus recruitments. It is also up to me to balance out my lifestyle between socializing with friends and maintaining an amazing GPA for applying to graduate school. College is valuable, because it is the time when I finally realized that my life is going to start in 4 years whether I want it to or not, therefore I better make it or break it.

I have learned to embrace diversity from attending USC. Prior to college, I talked the diversity talk but true acceptance of those ideologically different from myself was not yet a part of my life. Republicans, for example. I had no Republican friends before college and I did not think I ever could. I was and still am extremely liberal politically and socially and believed that being a Republican automatically made one a bad person...someone I could not befriend. While I will never agree with most Republicans on issues close to my heart such as gay marriage, abortion, taxes, and the death penalty, I have learned from studying, partying, exercising, and living with many-a-Republican, that they can be just as good-hearted people as Democrats, independents, and apathetic individuals. What makes a good friend is not one's politics but rather the kind of person they are. The best friends are compassionate, caring, and nurturing, and I have become friends with quite a few Republicans who possess these traits. Politics is very important to my life so I still follow it obsessively, but I no longer rule out friends simply by party affiliation. Thanks USC for enlightening me!

I entered school as an economics major, but I was eager to explore other fields. University of Southern California makes that easy with its “Core” curriculum, which consists of single classes from various departments. I was always interested in environmental issues, for example, but I never thought I might like a geology class, which I took to fulfill a science requirement. But I liked it so much, that I even joined an environmental club, Beyond Coal at USC. I just now finished my first semester at the university, but I have already found many interests that were previously unknown to me. And that’s what I’m hoping to gain from college, aside from a bachelor's degree: an idea of what it is that I truly want. It looks like I’m on the right track!

Getting to attend one of the most prestigious universities in the country has been very beneficial. Just because I am in the Annenber School for Communication and Journalism, I get a lot of networking done and many opportunities. I have fully enjoyed the different organizations my school has to offer and the great internships I have been able to be a part of. But most importantly, I am part of the Trojan Family. I always feel welcomed and taken care of.

I have had the privilege of attending three very different colleges, and each has provided me with valuable life lessons along the way. The first was Corban College, a private institution in Salem, OR. Corban taught me the value of small institutions and the powerful impact they can have on student-teacher relationships and learning. The second was Tacoma Community College (TCC) in Tacoma, WA. While I was at TCC I learned the value of a diverse community. It was a place of varying standards, teaching styles, and philosophies, but I soon found my place at the college that was giving me a second chance to make progress towards my Education degree. The third was Central Washington University-Pierce Campus (CWU) in Lakewood, WA. When I applied to CWU I was looking for a campus with flexible options. CWU was just the place! They provided me with several different options for my major, and all the campuses I considered were within driving distance from my home. I am currently a student in the Teacher Preparation Program at CWU. My experience of attending multiple colleges has provided me with unique insight to the power and growing necessity of higher education.

The one thing I have learned in college is that education is the only way to succeed, and nothing should hinder your own success. In the past year, I had lost three family members, and my boyfriend of two and a half years left for Afghanistan. On top of it I had little support from my family to be a nursing major. I realized that I had let other things get in the way of my education. I knew I wanted a career where I would help others, but in order to that I needed to help myself first. I switched from the University of Cincinnati’s main campus to their regional campus of Raymond Walters. Both my grade point average and myself have benefited from the smaller classes and easier contact with my professors. My education was the foundation for everything I wanted to do in life. My education is what I would build my entire life off of. What have I gotten out of my college experience is to let nothing get in the way of my dreams. To me, my college education is everything, and this is why I value my education.

I have learned that college is no joke! I still haven't gotten the full college experience which is why I am applying for this to help me with getting money to go off to college!