University of Southern California Top Questions

everyone in new leaves their door open, everyone goes to athletic events, it sucked that not everyone got into the ucla game. no one goes to guest speakers really, though i wish i did. if im up at 2am on a tuesday im either watching a movie, doing homework or drunk. people party a lot. i have a boyfriend and my roommate only studies in our room so if i want to watch a movie, i have to do it when she geos out so we alternate kinda. my closest friends are from orientation and my floor. if youre not in a sorority, you are dubbed a gdi and your life is lamer because you have less exchanges and invites to go to. on a sat. night, if youre not drinking yorue doing homework and watching a movie or doing something in la. off campus i go to clubs and movies and shop and out to eat.

The best group I became involved with was VSA. Although it is strange that I am part of the Vietnamese Student Association, I instantly bonded with some of the members because of their love of martial arts, and the group is very tight knit but welcoming. They have helped me out a lot - they even took me to the hospital when I dislocated my elbow! Also I have gotten to do a lot of fun things and had a lot of opportunities because of them. For me, I still think there is too much partying, alcohol and drugs, but I know that in my views against this I am the exception rather than the rule. I think USC is merely typical of the college environment in this respect.

If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I'm wasting time on Facebook and talking to my roommate. There are always amazing cultural opportunities on campus, and a lot of the professionals from the entertainment field visit so there are many opportunities available to attend screenings of new TV shows or new movies, and meet the cast.

Athletic events are extremely popular at USC, but you already knew that. One traditional event is "Save Tommy Trojan," an event that occurs soon before the USC game against UCLA. Tommy Trojan, our school statue, is wrapped up in tape to keep him safe, because in the past UCLA has dumped crap on him. The event fosters school spirit and there is free food, live music, and games like tug-of-war on an inflatable bouncy contraption. Rain or shine, you'll find USC students there. A Capella singing groups are plentiful, and you'll usually have an opening act from at least one group at school events.

The Chinese American Student Association is quite popular. Many are also in the Greek system or in the many Christian groups on campus. I'm the president of the Chinese American Student Association. Last year I was senior advisor. The year before I was Internal Vice President and the year before that I was athletics director. Students in dorms usually leave their doors open. Football and basketball games are wildly popular. Other sports garner decent spectatorship. Guest speakers are quite popular. Theater events are somewhat popular. The dating scene at USC is great. There are a lot of good looking people with interesting stories (backgrounds) to tell. I met my closest friends through CASA. If I'm awake at 2am on Tuesday I'm studying. There are a bunch of traditions but I can't think of any right now. People party every week. There's a lot of partying at USC. Fraternities and sororities are important to those involved in them. To those not involved in them, they're not very important. Last weekend CASA's 9th Annual Culture Show took place. I was the acting coach for that show for about a month and a half and I was very proud of the outcome. The audience was roughly 400-500 people. I spent the rest of the weekend either studying or spending time with my girlfriend. There are plenty of extracurricular events that happen on Saturdays. I have a few friends who are musicians, so their shows are often on Saturdays. Then there's always just hanging out with friends. I live off campus and primarily eat off campus.

The Row, that is, Greek Row, is the best place to be on a Thursday or Friday night. Free alcohol for all the ladies, although you do have to put up with a bunch of drunk people. It gets crazy but it always makes the best stories.

I can proudly say that the tennis club is the largest student organization on campus. Football is huge here- we go absolutely crazy for our Trojans. The greek system is pretty popular- but not a huge percentage by any means. We have over 500 student organizations so there really is something for everyone. Freshman year my entire hall left their doors open- responsibly (aka while they were in there) of course. We all loved to go talk to one another and were really open to making new friends. No matter where you go ALWAYS leave your door open when you are home and not seriously studying- it is the best way to make friends! Athletic events- especially football- are huge at USC. But that doesn't mean we ignore the arts. USC has a program called Visions and Voices which constitutes all different types of art, social, and theater events which come to campus or are made available for USC students- for free. For example, I have friends who got tickets to the broadway shows Wicked and Avenue Q for free through Visions and Voices. It really is a program to make us more well rounded individuals.

I think it's a pretty well known fact on and off campus that Greek life holds the most important role in USC's social life. I don't just say this because I'm in a sorority, but because even before I joined a sorority the most enticing social events occurred on the row. Besides fraternity parties, I often find myself at fraternity dinners, exchanges, invites, etc. Within my social community, people are out partying every night of the week - not necessarily the same people every night, but I have gone out and drank on every night of the week, just not all in one week. The 9-0 is also a huge hub of social activity around campus, and I actually find it hugely disappointing that the one place for greeks in all fraternities and sororities as well as non-greeks to convene is 21+. Of course people get in with fake ids, but the necessity for students to own fake ids to maintain an active social life is a disappointingly pervasive issue on campus. I would love to see someplace where all students go, 18+, and can get drinks if they are 21, or can refrain from drinking if they are not, but everyone could hang out together in a much more legal atmosphere. I mean, realistically, the 90 is practically all underage students anyways. That minor rambling aside, USC has a wonderfully active social life, and when I bring friends here from other schools they are often in awe of the magnitude of our parties. I love this about USC, and I think the exciting social life encourages well rounded students whose people skills are as desirable as their academic talent to come to USC. I know the office of judicial affairs is working to eliminate the drinking reputation that USC has, and while I hope they succeed in discouraging illegal behavior, I hope our reputation as a party school remains because without it, I fear that we may be seeing a much more boring, one-sided student body in the future than our currently colorful variety of students.

Undergraduate Student Government, Building Governments, Troy Camp, JEP, and Greek life. I'm a Senator in the Undergraduate Student Government and it has been one of the best experiences I have had. It gives you a taste of real world politics, exposure to the student body, and an opportunity to speak with administrators. Most students will leave their doors open, unless it is suite style or apartment style living. Athletic events, especially football and basketball, are very well attended and becomes the highlight of the week. Guest speakers are here all the time. The dating scene is difficult if you don't party and you're not into drunk hookups. Quality girls are hard to find, but there are some amazing individuals here. My closest friends either lived near me or participate in a group that I am in. 2 am on a Tuesday I'm probably hanging out with friends at my apartment or writing a paper or playing video games. I could be doing anything because that's early for college life. There are several concerts and rallies: Welcome Back Concert, Homecoming rally, Conquest (the week of the UCLA football game), Springfest. People party basically Thursday to Sunday. It's really way too much. Greek life dominates this campus and if you're not part of it, you are looked down upon by Greeks. It's implied that if you are a normal college student at USC, you're in a house. I spent last weekend on a retreat for a group that I recently was accepted to, Orientation Advisors. We will be spending all summer hosting incoming students. A nice Saturday night usually includes going out with friends for dinner, staying in and cooking, watching a movie at someone's place, or oftentimes, doing homework. Students tend to go to the Grove, or downtown, or Westwood. South Central has little for students to do so we have to find it elsewhere.