Hey Trojans! My name is Grace Baek and I’m a senior from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I’m double majoring in Business Administration and Accounting.
With all the resources at USC, it can be overwhelming and confusing for current students. I thought I would share a guide to navigating campus with the tips I’ve gathered during my four years here for those of you thinking about applying to USC or who have recently been admitted.
Me as a freshman at the USC Village
By the way, USC has a Free Lyft program, where students have access to unlimited free shared Lyft rides between 7pm-2am every night! We call this Fryft, and all the places I’ve listed in this guide are within the Fryft zone. USC also has a U-Pass program where students get free unlimited rides on LA Metro’s rail and bus lines.
Study Spots:
Let’s start with study spots. USC’s two biggest libraries are Doheny Memorial Library and Leavey Library. Doheny is our beautiful, Hogwarts-style library with natural lighting and intricate artwork decorating the walls. Leavey is where I personally go to get work done, with its cubicles for individual studying and rooms you can reserve for meetings or group studying.
I also often study at Fertitta Hall (JFF), home to the Marshall School of Business. Marshall majors can book breakout rooms, and it’s here where I do interviews, group projects, etc.
Group meeting at JFF Breakout Room
A hidden gem is the School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) Courtyard. I like to study up on the balconies, take in the fresh air and beautiful architecture, and sip on coffee from Coffee Bean in the complex!
My view from the SCA balcony
Fun Classes:
Here are some fun elective classes around USC should you be looking to fill your schedule with something new. I took THTR 295: Theatre in Los Angeles, where we watched 7 different theatre shows around LA—from The Book of Mormon at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre to Kim’s Convenience at the Ahmanson Theatre. Our final project was to come up with our own idea for a new theatre show, acting as a producer for a pitch.
I also took CTCS 466: Theatrical Film Symposium, USC’s most famous elective class! For the first half of class, you watch an unreleased movie. For the second half, you get to hear from the actual cast and crew about the filmmaking process. For example, we watched Project Hail Mary starring Ryan Gosling a month before it was released in theaters.
Fellow senior Hana Chung took DANC188A: International Style Ballroom Dance, where they learned different dance styles and had “dress up day” to show off ballroom dance moves in pairs.
Elena Mao took PHED 138: Beach Volleyball, where “you get to go to Santa Monica every Friday and play beach volleyball with your friends. It’s such a fun class and you learn so much!”
Me and my friend at Kim’s Convenience show for THTR 295
Groceries:
Time to switch gears from academics. If you don’t have a meal plan, you’ll need to go grocery shopping. Luckily, USC has many different grocery stores nearby.
Inside the USC Village, there are Target and Trader Joe’s, where you can get all your food and living essentials. Within the Fryft zone, there’s also Ralphs and Smart & Final where you can get cheap groceries.
Me and my friends having a picnic in the USC Village with our Trader Joe’s haul
Food:
I’m a huge foodie, and I’m going to share my favorite food spots on and around campus.
Inside the USC Village, there are tons of food options offering diverse cuisines. Build your own pasta bowl at Il Giardino, devour a sub sandwich at Jimmy Johns, eat healthy at Sweetgreen, or slurp on some delicious ramen at Ramen Kenjo.
Every Wednesday, there’s a Farmers Market on McCarthy Quad, where you can get fresh fruits, baked goods, handmade jewelry, or delicious food from one of the many food trucks.
Food from the Farmers Market at McCarthy Quad
Across the street from Fertitta Hall, there’s all the classics: Chipotle, Chick Fil-A, Starbucks, and Wingstop. My tip is to download the apps for rewards!
Within the Fryft zone, you can get build your own pizza at Blaze Pizza, get dumplings at Northern Cafe, pad thai at Thai by Trio, lomo saltado at Caveman Kitchen, authentic hotpot at YGF Malatang, tapas and drinks at Bacari, and even Michelin-starred tacos at Holbox.
Me and my friend at Holbox
Me at Blaze Pizza
For dessert, get a blueberry matcha and pastries at Dulce, boba at Yoboseyo or HeyTea, froyo at Yogurtland, or late-night donuts at Spudnuts.
Free Perks:
I’ll leave you with some insider tips for how USC students get discounts and free perks!
Free shuttle from campus to LAX during breaks
Free subscriptions to HBO Max, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, LinkedIn Learning, and Microsoft Office
Discounted movie tickets to AMC Theatres, Cinemark Theatres, and Regal Entertainment Group
Discounted tickets to Knott’s Berry Farm, Los Angeles Zoo, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Aquarium of the Pacific, Legoland California, Universal Studios Hollywood, etc.
Free admission to museums like the La Brea Tar Pits, California African American Museum, Natural History Museum, etc.
I hope you’re excited to step onto campus as a Trojan. There’s so much to do and explore. Fight on!