Tag Archives: college

Adult Responsibilities, New Experience, Outlook

Adapting In A New Place 

By Rio Jackson

Building confidence and increasing your self-esteem is vital in adapting in a new social setting. I will briefly walk you through a journey on how to channel and become “the best you”. The awkwardness, stumbling out of words or becoming distant can negatively impact your engagement with your peers. College is one of the best places to practice embracing new cultures, learning new languages, meeting new friends and expanding your comfort zone.

Here are a few tips you can use to expand your surroundings and stay on track:

Try something new.

Meaning, go to that yoga class you heard about. Try that restaurant you seen on Yelp, or go see that movie you heard great things about. Remember to try something new when you are ready. You never want to feel rushed or peer-pressured into doing something you’re not prepared to do. Start where you are comfortable.

List your short and long-term goals.

This best way to measure your growth, is to document it. Short goals can include, making sure you set time for self-care. Remember, some goals can be set with your own deadlines.

Practice positive affirmations.

Speaking positively is a great way to begin your day. Some affirmations can include: I will seize the day, I am the master of my fate, I will do and be my best. Affirmations can remind you to be encouraged and build your self-esteem.

Meet new people.

Take some time to introduce yourself to a new classmate. Typically, you have shared interest with your classmates, and will spend a lot of class time with them. Building friendships is a part of the college experience. Make sure you get know the community surrounding USC and explore the school’s culture. Free events are always available and serve as perfect opportunity to meet new people.

Stay connected with your roots.

Keep in contact with your family or friends that keep you grounded. Stay in contact with your family who can positively impact your adjustment to your new school. Lastly, great friends can give you the push you need to finish your semester strong!

Good luck and remember to take care of yourself.

Featured image from Pixabay

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USC

A Perfect Day for a Trojan

By Jackie Kim

As a four-year senior at USC, I’ve had my fair share of good days and bad days. I’ve appreciated the dynamic lifestyle that USC has allowed me to have in the past three and a half years; I’m grateful for the disparities and new developments that came in waves throughout my USC career—each day was a whole new experience and gave me fresh insights on feeling fulfilled and content. I want to create a hypothetical perfect day in the life of a Trojan and share it with you—the day below is a short reflection of my time at USC, condensed into a single day.

8:00 a.m.—Wake up and go for a jog around campus, starting at the entrance on Watt Way and Exposition, next to the Coliseum. Run down Vermont, next to the beloved Taco Bell and Smart & Final and finally end up back near the Parkside area.

8:45 a.m. – Walk to Nekter next to the Architecture building and Mudd Hall, where everyone takes their LinkedIn/ Senior photos. Get a classic Trojan bowl—filled with acai berries, banana, strawberries, and arguably the best granola in the world.

9:00 a.m. – Shower at home and head to 10 a.m. class on the $30 Penny Board (skateboard) that was bought on the USC Free & for Sale Facebook page.

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Adult Responsibilities, Outlook, Uncategorized

Emerging Adulthood

By Elizabeth Goodman

Going away to college whether it is close to home, across the country, or across the world presents an exciting and challenging time in any student’s life. For some, including myself, it is their first time living away from home where a newfound sense of independence and responsibility are formed. It’s an exciting, stimulating and fun time, but also one that can be characterized by anxiety, insecurity, and depression, making for a complex stage of life. This marks the beginning of a unique stage that was recently identified in 2000 by psychologist Jeffrey Arnett called, “Emerging Adulthood,” the period between adolescence and young adulthood, respectively (Arnett 2000). Its concepts and features are fascinating and applicable to almost all USC students, as this new stage concerns 18-25 year olds. As emerging adults, it is important to learn about this period in your life to fully understand the steps to becoming an adult in American society.

Emerging adulthood is characterized by five features: self-focus, instability, possibilities/optimism, identity exploration, and feeling in-between (Arnett 2014). Self-focus means this is a time where it is all about you and you have fewer ties and obligations to others. Instability in all facets of life is feeling like you are supposed to have a plan, but also knowing it will be revised many times. Optimism is feeling like anything is still possible at this time. Identity exploration is about asking yourself questions such as “Who am I? What do I want to be? What kind of person am I looking for romantically?” (Arnett 2014). Feeling in-between means not feeling like an adolescent, but also not feeling like an adult just yet (Arnett 2014).

As an aspiring Occupational Therapist, I am intrigued by development. As an emerging adult, I am especially interested in learning about this stage of life. Dr. Kim Morris-Eggleston is teaching her first semester of a two-unit course she created called, “OT 280- Essential Occupations of Emerging Adulthood” under the USC Chan Division of Occupational Therapy. The course is designed to, “Analyze the “emerging adulthood” stage of development in American society through an occupational science lens that includes sociology, anthropology, psychology, economics, and business” (Morris 2017). The course also focuses on themes in occupational therapy such as how to improve the health and wellness of emerging adults.

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