Throughout high school, I knew I wanted to go to college in a big city, so I was nothing short of ecstatic when I found out I got accepted into USC. Though I couldn’t wait to live in and explore Los Angeles, it was a huge adjustment for me. I’m so glad I traded my small-town roots for this thrilling city!
Leaving Highland
You see, I’m from a small hamlet in upstate New York called Highland. Highland is a small apple tree farm town where everyone knows everyone, and life moves slowly and gently. It’s the place where football games on a Friday night are a community event and where I can get to my friends across town in just a couple of minutes. Though I’m grateful to have been raised in such a peaceful area, surrounded by nature, I longed to live somewhere with a vibrant culture fast-paced lifestyle, surrounded by a diverse community.
USC had always been a top school I wanted to attend, but I didn’t realize that living in Los Angeles could become my reality until I actually got accepted. Suddenly, I realized that it would be a huge change for me, but I was willing to take on the challenge. I watched tons of YouTube videos about going to USC, my TikTok algorithm was all Los Angeles content, and I was reading blogs, just like you are doing now! Soon, my worries and fears were triumphed by my amount of excitement to meet new people and learn how to live somewhere new on my own.
Freshman Year
I studied abroad during my freshman fall semester, so in the spring of 2023, I arrived at USC and was ready to be surrounded by sunshine and palm trees. I realized that my suitcases full of puffer jackets and heavy sweaters were more of an occasional look and that one mile in Los Angeles was not the same as one mile in my farm town. I was also overwhelmed by the amount of activities happening just minutes away from me! There was so much to do but so little time!
The school itself was also a big adjustment. USC is a giant school, especially considering my high school class had roughy eighty kids total. However, you find your people, whether it’s through clubs, your classes, or even your major! Viterbi is comforting in the way that it’s smaller and I see many familiar faces in my classes each semester, and there’s an even smaller portion of students in my major. Large engineering schools can be scary because of the competition for students to fight for their spot in the program, which is why I chose USC because of its smaller but still extremely prestigious engineering program.
No Regrets
As I’m entering my junior year, I can’t help but feel like Los Angeles is my second home every time I hop off the plane, and I’m so grateful to have USC as not just my university but my community and a place I consider home. LA can be unpredictable, fast-paced, and even overwhelming sometimes, but at the same time, it’s exciting, full of life, and boasts tons of opportunities. I’m so happy with my decision to step out of my comfort zone and live across the country.
