SCampus 2011-12

How to Be Well USC

nkcarter — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:53:11 +0000

nkcarter — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:49:43 +0000

nkcarter — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:47:31 +0000

nkcarter — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:44:41 +0000

nkcarter — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:41:39 +0000

nkcarter — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:35:05 +0000

Saying Cheerio
I’m participating in a dual degree program where I’m spending my third year at the London School of Economics, so I get a J.D. from USC and an LL.M. from the London School of Economics. I’m excited. I like London. If you’re going to do something professional, it helps to speak the language.
Having a Ballroom
I’m in the Public Interest Law Foundation. It raises grant funds for students who want to work in public interest law during the summer. I’m the fundraising chair so I’m planning an event in the Ronald Tutor Campus Center Grand Ballroom. It’s a nice space, and student groups get a discount.
Fresh Air, Fresh Fare
I like to go to the beach, go hiking, shop and go to restaurants. There’s a surprising number of good hikes in Los Angeles. I like Temescal Canyon a lot, but I do Runyon Canyon more often, because it’s right near my apartment. So, I just wander, really.
Don’t Panic
I would probably tell incoming students to stress out a little bit less. USC is very friendly, and it’s not cutthroat. Probably one of its high points as a law school is that it’s so collegial. Grades are important, but in the end, USC also has good networks and a good reputation in the community. So that’ll help you get a job eventually and land where you want to be.

nkcarter — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:24:13 +0000

A Matter of Courses
The Catalogue is very useful to get comprehensive information about the campus. I’m studying double bass at the music school as my minor, so I used it to find out the right courses the music school offers.
Keeping It Brief
I liked the legal writing class. For international students, it’s very hard at first to make a composition in English, because English is not our first language. But during that course, we submitted several drafts of legal writings. The comments were very useful and really improved not only my professional legal writing, but also my emails, which became very Americanized.
International Flavors
I like Los Angeles’ international atmosphere. For international students, it’s very worrisome to study abroad without our own foods or our own cultures. There are a lot of Japanese food restaurants and Japanese bookstores so we cannot be homesick. We can also enjoy other cultures, such as Mexican or Koreatown or Chinatown.
From Coast to Coast
I really enjoy traveling around California. I’ve already visited a lot of places such as Las Vegas and Yosemite. I also visited the East Coast — New York and DC. And for the next Thanksgiving holiday, I’m going to visit New Orleans.

nkcarter — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:16:34 +0000

Dance On
I’ve been dancing since I was three. I actually didn’t even know what Song Girls were until I got here. We practice five days a week. We are at every football game and every home basketball game, and then we do a lot of other performances and appearances. So it’s a lot of time, a lot of hard work, but it’s been so worth it.
Working It
USC has so much available at the Career Center: all our libraries and online resources, all our counselors and career advisors, all the job fairs and the alumni network. I did an internship at “Who What Wear,” an online fashion magazine. It’s a hands-on experience that gives you a really good foundation to enter the workforce.
Seeing Visions, Hearing Voices
Through Visions and Voices, I went to Bill Nye the other night, which was great, and last year, I saw Savion Glover, who I watched tap dancing on “Sesame Street” when I was little. There’s always cool stuff going on.
Watching the Clock
Take advantage of all that is offered here and just enjoy your time here. I’m only a sophomore, but time really flies, and you have to soak it all in and take advantage of everything. All your classmates are so unique and talented, and there’s a lot to learn from your peers, from being in Los Angeles and from being at USC.

nkcarter — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:03:01 +0000

Getting Smart
Make sure that you go to office hours and the supplemental instruction sections, because those are extremely helpful for the exams. They’re led by the teaching assistants for the different lectures. You have to buckle down and set your sights on trying to seek out all help possible.
Room and Board
I live in Marks Hall. I definitely recommend living on campus, because you hear about all the things that are happening so you can get involved. You’re meeting a whole bunch of freshmen every day, especially when you go over to the dining hall, EVK.
A Streetcar Named Entertainment
I take USC’s free tram to L.A. LIVE and go watch a movie, hang there or go eat. I like to go hang out there on Fridays — just decompress after my hard weeks of classes. Being in the middle of L.A. is pretty nice, even without a car.
Getting Your Game On
I’m a huge football fan. On football Saturdays, I normally get to the game about an hour and a half early. Everyone’s in face paint and going crazy for the game. There’s really a lot of school pride here.

nkcarter — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:48:21 +0000

A Reel Great Class
Everyone should take Leonard Maltin’s Theatrical Film Symposium class, CTCS 466. He brings in current movies, and you watch them and then have a discussion with some of the filmmakers – not necessarily the director every time, but maybe an editor or producer. He tries to bring in a couple of blockbusters, a documentary, some indie films, so you get a wide variety. It’s awesome!
Gathering Places
The Ronald Tutor Campus Center is gorgeous. A lot of my friends come here to meet up for projects and to eat, so it’s really important in that sense. It’s a nice communal area where you can come and meet people and hang out.
Greasing Your Spoon
I love La Barca, the best Mexican ever. Chano’s is a close second, but it can’t come close to La Barca. And there’s this place called Lala’s Grill, Argentinian food. It’s so good. They make the best mashed potatoes.
Seeing Cardinal
I’m pretty sure I could wear USC clothing for a month and a half and not repeat the same clothes. I love USC! A lot of alums need to look good for work, but they love USC, so they’ll customize their jackets. If you open up the inside of their blazers, it’s this USC-print fabric.