University of Southern California Top Questions

most of my dorm is pretty social, but there are a few people that i don't even know their names...but that's their choice i guess. all of my close friends live on my floor, because i live with them and i met them first i guess...then i have some friends from classes and parties but not very many. football is intense here! i love it. if i'm awake at 2am during the week then i'm studying or watching tv, if it's the weekend i'm out at a party or hanging out with friends or something. there's a traditional senior fountain run which sounds pretty awesome, kinda a rite of passage thing i guess. the greek scene is pretty fun ;) but if you choose not to drink there are plenty of other fun things you can do.

There are a lot of open dorm rooms at the beginning of school years. Football games are huge! Make sure you get a student activities card as soon as they go on sale! You will feel left out if you don't get one. Basketball games are popular when we are winning. Celebrities come to our football games all the time (Snoop, Will Ferrell (alumni), Denzel Washington, past players, etc.) Some guest speakers are more popular than others (Spike Lee, Ice Cube, etc.) but they are all free to students which is awesome. Conquest and Save Tommy Night take place the week of the UCLA football game (usually there is a band (last year it was The Fray). SpringFest takes place in April every year. We usually get a pretty cool band (The Roots, Lupe Fiasco, etc.) USC is in L.A. Enough said. You can do ANYTHING You want to do off campus. Thursday nights are the big party night because most partyers don't have class on Friday and go home. The 9OI Club, The Row, any off campus student Housing, and Leonardo's (for athletes and black people are big party spots around campus.)

Obviously the best thing about USC is football season. Game day is the best day of the year... wake up, party with thousands of people all around and off campus, go win another game, go celebrate. Greek life is pretty important here, but there are enough fraternities and sororities for everyone. Life not going greek is not the end of the world though, many people do not end up going greek. You can determine on your own how much you want to party. If your not on a sports team or in a sorority, its pretty easy for girls to get into any party, for guys, not so much. Your right next to Los Angeles so if you don't feel like partying on campus, or don't want to party at all, there is so much to do.

Great Greek life (stay away from the "party" frats, trust me - go with the high GPA Greeks), great evenst with lots of free food (though lots of creepy freeloaders who wander into campus from holes nearby) and screenings of new releases.

There are probably too many groups on campus to know which ones are the most popular, but definately one of the most recognizable is the Spirit of Troy Marching Band, a three hundred member strong group of young musicians who are responsible for intimidating the other team and pepping up the 92,000 specatators at each home football game. Dorm life is totally relaxed and easy to get to know everyone on your floor and even in your building because everyone is looking for people to hang out with all the time, and it's really fun to just hang in someone's room for a night. Most of my best friends are the ones I've met in my dorm, and I'll be living with them again next year. There are always things to do on campus. We have guest speakers and bands and comedians and dancers and all sorts of performers come to campus and do free shows for students. A few weekends ago, the University sponsored a school-wide event called Springfest where bands peformed in the quad from noon to midnight on a Saturday, with some bands including Saosin, Young Love, the Aquabats, and with Lupe Fiasco headlining it. IT WAS AMAZING. Fraternity and sororities are popular, but definately not a necessary part of the college experience. They are a great way to meet new people and keep busy though. My friends who are in sororities love them, but my friends who are not in them do not want to join, and are fine not being in one.

There's a club for absolutely everything you'd want to get involved with. I had never fenced before I came to college and randomly showed up to a practice because I had seen them at the activity fair and now I'm on the team. Students in the dorms leave their dorms open and everyone will just come in to your room and talk. Football is the most important part of the Fall semester for all students. Everyone goes to the games. There is a lot to do on and off of campus. Los Angeles is amazing.

I would say that the Greek System at USC is large and very popular. The Row, which is the street with all of the sorority and fraternity houses, is a popular place for parties and social exchanges. I did not attend USC my first two years of college, so I do not know the dorm experience at this particular school. There are many USC traditions that a very long standing. Football season is a very exciting and important time of year for the student body and alumnae. Before every football game, home and away, one can see thousands of die hard USC fans decked out in the signature maroon and yellow. Tail-gating is very popular and provides a great bonding experience for the students. Another tradition would the rivalry between USC and UCLA. During the annual USC/UCLA football game the campus is transformed into a carnvial. I find that in most cases, similar with my own, that upper classmen tend to move farther away from campus. The first two years students tend to live in dorms or in apartments in the campus area. However, I find that juniors and seniors move to farther away places such as Pasadena and Santa Monica.

Greek life is a big deal on campus, but you can still have a social life without being a part of it. In the dorms, people usually leave their doors open; I'm pretty close with everyone on my floor in the dorm. Instead of going to "the row", a lot of people hang out on campus or go explore L.A.

The Greek life at USC is one of the best. Students at USC are unique because they are able to work hard but also balance a great social life. Football season is one of the greatest experiences, walking on campus and tailgating with students, alumni, and fans. USC is also located close to Hollywood and that type of scene. There are so many options, from going to the row, to going to the Grove to see a movie, to going clubbing in Hollywood. Everyone can find something that they enjoy doing.

The most popular groups to join are the sororities and fraternities, but I am not in one and do not feel excluded at all. I go to the frat parties sometimes, and even though I don't drink, I don't feel uncomfortable. The guest speakers we get are incredible. In my two years here, I have seen Steven Spielberg, Jane Goodall, Spike Lee, Quincy Jones, Josh Schwartz, Rufus Wainwright...