Two midnights in Paris


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“Two Seats Left.” My friend McKenna and I stared at the screen on the ticket machine, overjoyed at the message we were greeted with. “We’re going to Paris!” we screamed. It was a Wednesday night, and we had just found ourselves a €120 round trip ticket to the home of street-side crepes, the Mona Lisa […]

The benefits of studying abroad with an all-inclusive program


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Studying with Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) in Shanghai, I’ve learned the benefits of all-inclusive study abroad programs. CIEE offers many study abroad locations around the world, so even if USC doesn’t list a certain city as an option, you can probably apply through CIEE and request approval from USC. Here’s why I’m such […]

When traveling, expect the unexpected


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When you travel it’s nearly impossible not to have a few occasional bumps along the road. You spend hours making concrete plans only to have them completely turned around, sometimes within minutes of leaving for your destination. I always find it a bit ironic that people put so much time and energy into planning their […]

Studying abroad means more independence


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I can’t believe it, but it has already been just over a month since I arrived in Los Angeles. Time flies, and it is already midterm week, but I feel like exchange student orientation was yesterday. I know that a lot of USC students — especially the Marshall students whom I have met in the […]

A Dutch Girl at USC: School Spirit


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When I left my apartment to join the first USC tailgate of the year, I could not believe my eyes. Campus was a sea of red and yellow, with the occasional white skirt and gladiator helmet. Students, but also alumni and other USC community members, were rocking the University’s logo and happily clinking their red […]

5 tips for making language gains abroad


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When I decided to study abroad in Shanghai, I knew I wasn’t going to be getting the traditional study abroad experience. I wouldn’t be able to jet set on weekends and explore surrounding countries. But I chose Shanghai for a reason. I wanted to make serious language gains in a short amount of time and […]

Calling London Home


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Last weekend, I took my first trip out of London to the lovely city of Amsterdam. I spent the weekend there with my parents before returning to London to show them around my newfound home. Reflecting on this experience, I feel like I learned a lot about the process of not only studying abroad but […]

Traveling with Strangers


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For students who decide to study abroad, part of the appeal of coming to a place like Europe is the opportunity to explore other countries during their free time. A quick train ride to Paris, a short flight to Rome— it all sounds lovely and luxurious. But what people rarely discuss is the fact that […]

4 ways USC is different from Hong Kong universities


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My name is Grace and I am an exchange student from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology attending USC for the next four months. It has been a marvelous four weeks here. I felt like I was a freshman again, overwhelmed by the number of clubs and societies at the Involvement Fair, wandering […]