At USC, welcome week begins with move-in day during the week before classes begin. The first week is part of the Trojan Welcome Experience at the beginning of each semester. Students will participate in multiple events aimed at building connections, engaging with new friends, learning about important resources, and finding community. The Trojan Welcome Experience, along with many other engaging events, is run by USC Student Life.
During move-in week, students will take part in traditions like USC New Student Convocation, the Welcome Back Concert, the Involvement Fair, the On-Campus Student Job Fair and more. Students can access information about these events on the Experience USC platform, which is exclusive to USC students and combines all the facets of college life into a single resource to help them get the most out of their college experience.
Welcome Back Concert:
The Welcome Back Concert is a music and arts show held by the USC Concerts Committee. The event features multiple popular artists and serves as a kickoff to another year at USC. The show highlights talented artists of all different forms and activities that complement the musical performances. Students on the Concerts Committee help produce the event in McCarthy Quad.
On-Campus Student Job Fair:
USC’s On-Campus Student Job Fair takes place during the first week of each semester and provides students with the opportunity to explore part-time employment on campus and with approved nonprofit organizations. Both work-study and non-work-study positions will be available to enhance students’ academic and professional development throughout the school year. Students can connect directly with campus departments and nonprofit representatives to learn about current job openings, responsibilities, hiring timelines, and application processes. Students in all majors, class standings, and degree levels are able to attend this event.
Fall Involvement Fair:
The USC Fall Involvement Fair is an excellent opportunity for new and returning students to learn about the 1,000+ clubs and organizations on campus. Getting involved is a great way to try something new, fine tune your skills, and meet new people. Whether you’re interested in club or intramural sports, Greek life, or cultural organizations, the Involvement Fair, you’ll find groups in all of these categories and more. To see a full breakdown of all of USC’s organizations and clubs, students can visit the Student Organizations and Clubs website.
Residential College Cup Kick Off:
USC’s dorms compete in the Residential College Cup every year, and the kickoff event happens during Welcome Week. The Residential College Cup is an annual competition between the seven first-year student residential colleges. Points are earned by placement in annual events, attendance at events, or scoring at events. All of these together help to determine each residential college’s ranking.
While all of these events (and so many more) are not required, I would recommend attending as many as possible. Welcome Week is a great way for students to meet new friends and find community on campus right away as they start their journey at USC. Whether students decide to join a club or go to the Welcome Back Concert with a group of people from their dorm, this week before they start your classes is all about finding their people and making USC feel a little bit more like home.
Written by: Lucy Jordan, Assistant Director, USC Office of Admission