Student Perspectives: Distinct Learning Opportunities

Hi, I’m Jay, a sophomore studying Global Geodesign, and if you have no idea what that is, I wouldn’t blame you one bit; sometimes I’m still fully figuring out what it means! But my major is one of the many interdisciplinary programs here at USC. My program is all about the physical space and how we can make our cities better. So, I take classes in the Architecture school, real estate and urban planning classes in our Price School of Policy, and statistics classes within my department. All of this is to say I know a thing or two about USC’s almost never-ending academic opportunities.

USC’s Interdisciplinary Nature

If you couldn’t tell just by my major, I have a lot of interests. Sometimes people have said I actually have too many… But here, at USC, I’ve never felt bad once for having so many interests; in fact, I’ve felt more emboldened than ever to explore everything I could possibly want! Thanks to USC’s flexible elective options, I can take classes beyond my major and GEs open course policy, I’ve been able to take all sorts of classes in different schools at the university. I’ve taken classes in the Viterbi School of Engineering, where I learned the Python programming language. Next semester, I’ll be taking a course that focuses on how to use AI for Sustainable Development. On the other end of the spectrum, this semester, I’m taking a class in the International Relations department where we have Gordon Brown (former prime minister of the UK) come in to give a lecture series about his thoughts and experiences in geopolitics. I absolutely adore this part about USC. Every time someone asks me what classes I’m taking, I rattle off all the departments/schools I’m taking classes in (Architecture, Real Estate Development, International Relations, Spatial Sciences) and it sounds like a disparate list of topics thrown together; but they actually all explore different passions of mine. My favorite part about taking such a diverse set of classes, besides getting to explore my interests, is seeing how they all surprisingly relate to each other. I’ve been able to find connections between different topics, which I believe gives me a unique perspective. If I were only taking classes in one domain, I wouldn’t be able to see such a holistic picture.

Now, even if you don’t have an interdisciplinary major, that doesn’t mean you aren’t able to explore everything you want. I have many friends who are double majors or have multiple minors. For example, one of my friends is double majoring in Quantitative Biology and Philosophy, Politics, and Law (yes, that is one major). So, you really can explore everything you want, regardless of how different your interests may be!

Part of my major are Maymesters where we go abroad to learn about challenges facing other countries and this one was in the Netherlands, where we learned about Dutch Design and their policy approaches to problems like Climate Change and the Housing Crisis!

Research @ USC

Research was always something I knew I wanted to do once I got to college. Often, at big colleges or universities, it can be difficult to get involved in research, but, I am so happy to report that, here, if you want to get involved, there are tons of opportunities to do so! I actually started my freshman year spring semester, where I joined the Social Connection Lab (a neuroscience and psychology lab?!?!?!?). Yes, that’s right! I joined a psychology lab! Now, while not in my direct academic experience, I’ve always had an interest in social connection and it's often something that I explore in my free time. I’m especially interested in how it relates to our physical environment, so I wanted to explore the neural mechanisms behind what makes us lonely. In my time, I’ve learned so much about neuroscience and psychology and what makes us lonely. I’ve been able to work with our PhD students to run experiments in our fMRI machine and more recently our fNIRS equipment. I’m also leading my own research within the lab to investigate how loneliness relates to creativity.

Not only am I in the Social Connection Lab, where I work as a research assistant, I am also working with professors in my own department, the Spatial Sciences Institute. I’m working to develop novel datasets and machine learning algorithms to be able to understand human perception of environments and comparing that with the actual structure of the built environment to understand and quantify what a ‘good’ and liveable environment is, so we can tailor interventions to improve health and quality of life. I really love all the work I do and I fully believe that everything I want to do, I can achieve at USC. (P.S. All of my research experiences are paid, which is always a nice bonus!)

I know it can sound like a bunch of marketing when universities say you can do everything you could possibly want. But here, at USC, I genuinely believe you can learn about and explore all of your interests. You won’t have professors, peers, or advisors shooting you down. Instead, I’ve been met with the most supportive community that wants to see me succeed and that will support me as I explore all of my passions.