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Adult Responsibilities, Advice, Asian American, college, friends, health, L.A. Life, lifestyle, New Experience, Outlook, student life, USC

Take a Breath: Keeping Things in Perspective in College

By Stella Yeong

Edited by Natalie Grace Sipula

[4 minute read]

It’s easy to feel like college is supposed to be the most important and formative part of your life. At least, that’s what many of us have been led to believe through media and film. However, after some time, I’ve come to realize that’s not true for everyone. It’s hard to not get muddled up in what you think your experience is supposed to be, but it is best to focus on making it the best version of what it already is. I felt the same way about high school — like everything that happened was the most important thing in the world. Yet, the number of people that I still keep in contact with that I used to see every day can now be counted on one hand. Even my most embarrassing or happiest moments have all become a blur.

Photo by Fuu J on Unsplash

High school and college can be all-consuming while you’re in them, especially because they are a cesspool of unhealthy comparison. However, everyone is on their own path — it may take longer to get from one place to another for some, but that doesn’t determine your destination. Trust that everything will work out, and if it doesn’t, worry about it when it happens because everything, good or bad, eventually comes to an end.

Here are a few tips I’ve gathered over time to help remember how to keep things in perspective in college:

1. Start studying early to minimize stress around exam time.

Photo by Matt Ragland on Unsplash

Annoyed how tests, projects, and papers all seem to pile up at the same time? Start studying early by going over your notes for a few minutes each day so you don’t have to cram for four classes at once. When you have some free time, study even if you don’t think you have to because exam time can sneak up on you before you know it. Easier said than done, but try not to procrastinate! This way you won’t be so concerned about where you stand in relation to others when you are cramming during exam week.

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Advice, college, fall, friends, health, lifestyle, Sight Seeing, student life, USC

Hidden gems on campus 

By Tiffany Hsia

Edited by Natalie Grace Sipula

[3 minute read]

Many of us are preparing to return to USC for the upcoming school year with excitement and anticipation. However, attending class and studying for exams can become routine as the school year progresses, but there are places around campus that can help spice up your routine or become a new study spot. Studying day and night at Leavey Library can become boring, and after living on campus for a year, I have found a couple of different study spots to help change up your scenery while studying, especially during finals. 

  • LiteraTea

For all of the people who love boba but don’t like having to walk off campus to get it, there is actually a hidden boba place on campus! LiteraTea is located behind Doheny Library and is a little cafe where you can study. They serve a variety of healthy, quick items you can take on the go (and boba!). It is also the perfect place to study, as there is an outdoor courtyard to do work right across from the cafe. This courtyard allows you to enjoy the sunshine and take in the rays of Southern California while getting work done.  

  • Balcony of the School of Cinematic Arts 
Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash

If you are looking for a quiet yet scenic place to study, the balconies in the School of Cinematic Arts are the perfect place. The balconies are not restricted to Cinematic Arts students and are open from 7-11 PM. You can access the balconies by entering in one of their buildings and taking the elevator to the second or third floor. Once you enter, the balconies overlook the beautiful courtyard of SCA and have outdoor patio seating. This is perfect for quiet studying with a view or hanging out with friends. I have had many late-night chats and group studying sessions here!

  • Café 84

Café 84 is conveniently located between Fluor Tower and Webb Tower. While the hours of Café 84 fluctuate (they close anytime from 11-2 AM on weekdays), this is the perfect place to get work done or have group meetings. Café 84 also has a Starbucks, which is convenient to help kick start studying. If you like doing work surrounded by some noise, this is the place to study. I especially enjoy doing group work here, as it is a very casual atmosphere.

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Art, culture, New Experience, Sight Seeing, Travel

Valparaiso: A City of Art

By Jamie Schlegel

Edited by Natalie Grace Sipula

[3.5 minute read]

The coastline of Chile is composed of many turns and rocky edges. My fellow travelers and I kept ourselves entertained watching them as our van turned those corners for several hours on the drive from Santiago to Valparaiso. Gradually, the tell-tale signs of a city began to make themselves apparent: less ocean and more buildings. Finally, the van came to a stop. As we unpacked our bags and headed into the hostel, we already felt the chilly weather of the southern hemisphere.

Photo by arpa sarian on Unsplash

The place we were going to stay at turned out to be on the top floor of the building. Fairly early in the morning, we were woken up by the sunlight streaming in through the skylights. As we crawled sheepishly out of bed, the realization that we were in a new city truly woke us up. After a quick breakfast of bread, cheese, and jam, we rushed out into the winter air. The neighborhoods in Valparaiso are called Cerros, and our Cerro was one of the most colorful places I had ever seen. The streets were made of cobblestone and were reminiscent of Europe. The buildings were lined with small shops, each one different from the last. The apartments that sprawled above them were colored in magnificent yellows, pinks and blues.

The buildings of Valparaiso were beautiful, but I would say the most magnificent sight in the city was the murals. Every inch of the city, from the steps to the lampposts to the 50-foot-long walls, were covered with art more amazing than those found in any museum I had ever visited. There were renditions of Van Gogh’s Starry Night with 20-foot sunflowers, a powerful indigenous woman, and many more that I couldn’t even begin to understand. The city encouraged art, and the people there seemed to look at life differently because of that. 

Photo by Loïc Mermilliod on Unsplash
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