Senior scramble: the urgency to link up before graduation


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As senior year is slowly coming to an end, everything seems to be slipping out of my grasp. My time left here at USC, any idea of what my post-grad plans are and my sanity all seem to be slipping. Senior year ain’t no joke. Just some typical senior anxieties you could easily guess. But another thing you may have heard about is the senior scramble. No, it’s not a fancy egg dish for old folks. Rather, it’s the phenomena of seniors finding the urgency to romantically link up and search for committed relationships just before graduating. That’s the general idea as far as I know.

The idea of “scrambling” to find someone before graduating is crazy, especially when thinking back to the first semester of college. When first entering college, everything is new. New campus, new people, new you and most importantly … New prospects in dating! What else did you think I might be talking about?

I remember from my freshman year that  I was really excited to meet some new people to help freshen up my life, dating life included. Just being in a new space and getting to know a bunch of cool, attractive people was heaps of fun. Dating and just making new friendships was exhilarating because there were just so many possibilities of who I could get to know next. But as a senior, this has drastically changed.

The pool for potentials has slowly evaporated away over the years, so through my senior year, as eligible older men are also disappearing, who am I left to look to?! I’m no longer able to depend on continuously meeting new people every new school year. Because 1. I have no more “First Day of School!” in my agenda and 2. Everyone’s faces around here are getting familiar. The newness and shiny appeal of USC campus and its students have slowly dimmed and it’s getting sadly dark in here. People always suggest dating apps, going out to bars or connecting with classmates. But what’s more romantic than catching the eye of a strapping young man across the way in the cinema school courtyard? Or having a kind beauty letting you cut her in the Tro Go line when you’re already late for class and just need that shot of espresso (and her phone number) for your day? Can’t I just have my Trojan romance dream come true?

What’s sadder is football game days when the campus is filled with students and alumni decked out in gear, all emitting awesome vibes of the Trojan Family. What really gets me is seeing new parents with their wee little ones, roaming around campus in their game-day gear as well. That’s all I want.

So yes, senior scramble is kind of real for some of us, because what else would be a better cherry on top of our USC experience than finding love on this campus as well? Why not make USC the greatest alma mater after its provision of life lessons, unforgettable friends and other experiences that can never leave us (a school debt I will go to the grave with)? Although dating may not seem as hopeful for some as it was in our first years here, I bid good luck to all those “scrambling” in their last few semesters. And if you are one of the lucky ones who find your future beau after reading this, don’t forget to invite me to your wedding. So for my seniors, keep scrambling and fighting on in the name of Trojan love.

Dani Chang is a senior majoring in cinematic arts, critical studies.  Her column. “Feisty Woman,” runs every other Friday.