Tag Archives: schedule

college, Hobby, student life, USC

How to Choose Elective Classes at USC

By Chelsea Pelchat

As a college student, there are few things more treasured than finding a class that brings you pure joy. For me this semester, that class is my one unit beach volleyball course at USC. This class takes place on Santa Monica beach every Friday morning for two hours of competitive fun (or non-competitive if you prefer), and even counts for credit towards graduation! These are just some of the reasons why it has been such a highlight of my college experience.

As I approached my eighth and final semester, I couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional. Four years have flown by, and suddenly, I’m a second semester senior with only ten units left to take – two of which were free Dornsife elective units. Throughout my time at USC, people had always advised me to add an extra one unit course to my schedule, but I never took this advice seriously until now. I wish I had taken a class like this sooner, especially during more stressful times when the class could have a pleasant alternative in my schedule. After all, there’s nothing better than taking a few hours each week to unwind and learn a new sport while also meeting new people outside of your major. 

Photo by Sam Balye on Unsplash

On the first day of class, we were given the opportunity to arrange carpool groups for our morning trips to Santa Monica beach. Since then, we’ve been meeting there to play beach volleyball every Friday. As a senior, it is refreshing and fun to be a part of a course where everyone is trying out a new sport for the first time, especially while balancing intensive upper-division major courses. The first hour of each class consists of warm-up exercises and drills, which helps us develop our skills for the matches to come. Then, we usually play king’s court, where teams of two compete against each other, and the losing team is replaced by the next team in line. It’s a fun way to practice and improve our skills, as well as take on a new hobby! 

After class, it’s common for us to stay on the beach and soak up some sun or even grab an acai bowl on the boardwalk with friends. This class adds a lifestyle component to my last semester’s course curriculum, and makes me appreciate the opportunity to build a well-rounded class schedule at USC.

Photo by David Schultz on Unsplash

So far I’ve met a good amount of international students in this class – both undergraduate and graduate students. I highly encourage anyone who is considering a one unit physical education course to add it to their schedule without hesitation. Choose a sport that you’ve always wanted to learn or get better at and I promise you won’t regret it! 

Reflecting on my experience at USC, there are a few additional courses I would recommend taking. If you are pursuing a non-technical major but are interested in acquiring technical skills, ITP 115 Introduction to Python and ITP 249 Intro to Data Analytics are excellent choices. As someone majoring in international relations and global business with an interest in technology, these courses provided me with a solid foundation in the world of software and analytics. These skills are applicable in any field, and in today’s increasingly digitized workspace, having a grasp of basic programming and data analysis is a valuable asset for completing day-to-day tasks. Alongside technical courses, it’s also worth exploring courses outside of your major that can help you develop life skills. In my case, Introduction to Mindfulness was incredibly helpful in learning to manage stress and everyday challenges through mindfulness practices. This one-unit physical education course can be easily added to your regular 16-unit schedule.

Photo by Danial Igdery on Unsplash

I strongly encourage you to take a diverse range of courses during your time at USC, both within and outside of your major. You never know which courses might have a profound impact on your personal and professional growth, and what new skills you may learn!

Featured Image by Jannes Glas on Unsplash

Chelsea is a senior at USC studying International Relations and Global Business. She recently returned from a semester abroad in the Netherlands. Chelsea was raised in a bilingual household in the Bay Area, having spent her first three years in Dalian, China. On campus, she’s held leadership positions such as being president of the USC Exchange Student Supporters, a research assistant in consumer behavior, and a TA for a core business class. In her free time, Chelsea loves going on hikes, attending live music events, and trying out new recipes.

Adult Responsibilities, Advice, college, entertainment, television

How TV Gets Me Through the School Year

By Megan Dang


A couple of weeks ago, I finished watching HBO’s dark dramedy Succession after what felt like an eternity of being the only person with a pulse who hadn’t seen it. I immediately texted my parents to encourage them to watch it. Seconds after, I turned back to HBO and hit play on the latest episode of The Last of Us. My mom’s response to my text was full of judgment: “Aren’t you a college student? How do you have the time to watch all that TV?”

Photo by Mollie Sivaram on Unsplash


At first I felt defensive, like I needed to have some reason to justify my (yes, possibly a bit concerning) TV-binging habits. My mom had a point, after all; in the past few months alone, I had serially binged Succession, The White Lotus, The Last of Us, Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul, interspersed with a few revisits to some long-time favorite shows. All this added up to a copious amount of hours that, for my own peace of mind, I’d prefer not to calculate. Eventually the excuse I came up with to preserve my dignity was, “I’m a screenwriting major, watching TV is part of my education!.” This is partially true. In all of my film classes, our professors encourage us to watch as much TV as possible in our own time for the sake of studying the writing behind it. How was this plot point set up? How was this backstory established? When you watch TV critically, that can absolutely be a learning experience.


But if I’m being honest with myself, I can’t say that I always watch TV with my writing cap on. As I watched Breaking Bad, I wasn’t thinking about act breaks or story structure; I was so immersed in the on-screen world that I felt like I was living in it. Watching Succession, I wasn’t analyzing the characters and their dialogue; they were simply people I knew, people I could laugh with. The reason for this is simple: it’s hard to look at something you’re experiencing so profoundly through an objective, scholarly lens, especially when you’re in the thick of it.
However, I know I’m not the only college student who spends a little too much time on streaming services—and a lot of those other students don’t even have being a film major as an excuse. But when I thought about it more, I realized that there was no need for an excuse, anyway. Television is more than just a way of passing time that you don’t have. Television is escapism.

Photo by Praveen Gupta on Unsplash


College students are certainly a demographic in need of escapism. In my first few months at USC, I grappled with crippling homesickness. I missed my home, the sense of familiarity and comfort, the feeling of sprawling out on my couch and being surrounded by family. Even now it’s a feeling I experience regularly. Here on campus, TV has become a way to combat that feeling. The screen serves as a universal safe space, an indication that work time is over. The characters become family, keeping you company when you’re holed up alone in your dorm.


There’s no reason college students should feel guilty for our late night Netflix binges, regardless of whether we have the time for it or not. College is possibly one of the most transitional periods of our lives. Things are constantly changing around us: classes, professors, people, homes, friends. Television provides a source of stability and consistency throughout all of that. Often it’s as close to a constant sense of home as you can get on campus. Treat yourself to a binge sometime—you deserve it.

Featured Image by Adrian Swancar on Unsplash

Megan is a sophomore studying screenwriting at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. Born and raised in Southern California, she’s very familiar with the L.A. lifestyle and culture. When she’s not writing movies and TV, she loves to watch movies and TV. Her other hobbies include reading, art, playing ukulele, listening to rock music, and playing video games. Most importantly, she loves being around people and making new friends. 

Adult Responsibilities, health, lifestyle, Nature, student life

Hit Reset and Climb Out of Your Rut

By Nathan Kim

Rut: a habit or pattern of behavior that has become dull and unproductive but is hard to change

As we are reaching the midway point of the semester, it’s easy to become unmotivated and exhausted from the ever-increasing pile of work. I know that for me, I’m finding it harder to get up each day and consistently keep up with balancing my school life, social life, and personal life. It’s a constant battle to not feel burnt out and keep on working hard each day, but I’ve tried to combat this by utilizing some methods to regain that drive again and get out of this rut. Here are three ways you, too, can escape that feeling of being stuck and unable to move forward.

Photo by Arek Adeoye on Unsplash
  1. Take a walk outside and observe your surroundings

You’ve probably heard of the concept of mindfulness, but for me the purpose of taking a walk is to clear your mind. It’s best to do this without thinking too much about where you’re walking or how long you’re going to walk. Walking in nature and listening to the ambient sounds of your environment is a surefire way to heal your body and your mind. This helps you to clear your head and take a step back from the burdens of life while appreciating your life as it is in that moment. As you walk around, you should simply observe what’s happening around you and let your thoughts pass by without dwelling on them too much. After your walk, you will be able to return to your work feeling refreshed and hopefully less stressed.

  1. Clean your physical and digital clutter

We all have things in our lives that need some cleaning. It can be rather therapeutic to set things back into their places and to tidy up your life a bit. At first, it might seem overwhelming to take on such a large task, but approaching messy situations in a step-by-step fashion is the best antidote to a chaotic life. For physical clutter, it starts by putting one item back in place. For digital clutter, cleaning your cluttered email inbox might be a good start. Cleaning gives you another opportunity to not have to think about other appointments in the future and engage in some introspection on how you’re feeling about your life in general. It’s important to have an organized environment because that is the location where you will be doing the majority of your work at.

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
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