A Day in the Life at University of Southern California

A Day in the Life at University of Southern California The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Chris graduated from University of Southern California in 2010 with a Bachelors degree in Theatre. He is an Atlanta tutor specializing in Algebra tutoring, Spanish tutoring, Grammar Mechanics tutoring, and more. See what he had to say about his undergraduate experience: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Chris: USC is three miles from downtown Los Angeles, so its about as urban as schools get. The neighborhood in the few blocks around campus is not great, but isnt as bad as it was 20 years ago, and the school is constantly working on improving the area. LA has an extensive public bus system, but only a few subway and rail lines. The campus itself is very small. Everyone walks or bikes. For the most part, the students live within a few blocks of campus, so they walk or bike to and from school as well. There is a bus system that connects the satellite campuses. A great transportation service is Campus Cruiser, which are cars run by the university that you can call for a ride at night. If youre going to or coming from the library, or just from house to house and dont want to venture into the sometimes-imposing urban night, Campus Cruiser will give you a free lift. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Chris: I studied in the Theatre department, which is very small and based on interaction, so I was always able to get ahold of my teachers. My academic advisor, Leon, was extremely helpful, available, and open. In the few classes with TAs that I had, they were usually reachable by email. I never tried to set up a meeting, so I cant testify to how that goes. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Chris: Dorms are at the corners of campus. I lived in Birnkrant, which is right near both Leavy and Doheny Libraries and Everybodys Kitchen dining hall. Parkside is the international dorm (though it also serves native students). Flour Tower is mostly made up of athletes, as its near the athletic facilities. Webb Tower has apartment-style dorms.Off campus are some university-run apartments, usually occupied by upperclassmen. The school only guarantees housing through sophomore year, so many upperclassmen find private housing nearby.There are a couple of different dining plans, which mix meals at the dining halls and dining dollars, which can be used there or at the fast-food style establishments on campus. The plans balance the two types differently.The two main dining halls are Everybodys Kitchen (EVK) and Parkside. Parkside tends to be better and more diverse, but is on the opposite side of campus from about 70% of the dorms. Below the Flour and Webb Tower dorms are a few take-out s tyle places. The centerpiece of campus is the Ronald Tutor Student Center, which Im told has food, but I graduated the year before it opened, so Im not sure about it. Definitely, my favorite place is Ground Zero. Its a student-managed coffee shop and performance venue that makes the absolute best milkshakes in the world. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Chris: I was in the Bachelor of Arts program in the School of Theatre (now called the School of Dramatic Arts). I do Theatre because I love it. (And, clearly, for the embarrassingly large stacks of money it will make me.) The university did a pretty decent job supporting us, as far as Arts support goes. The SoT management was not particularly great. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Chris: USC does have a pretty active Greek scene, located on The Row on 28th Street. I wasnt in that scene, so I cant tell you much about it. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Chris: I never visited the Career Center, because a career in the Arts has such an unconventional, circuitous path that I never felt the need to. There were job and recruitment fairs on campus with some regularity, though I never paid them much mind. I expect that the best companies in the world come to USC, given our high national ranking, our location in a world business hub, and our large graduate and undergraduate student body. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Chris: Leavy Library and Doheny Library are the main general-use libraries on campus, and both are huge and deep. Theres always room to read and there are large computer labs, as well as conference rooms available for reservation.Dorm lounges vary by building. Birnkrant had a fishbowl on each floor, but it was pretty small.The student center got torn down pretty early in my schooling, and the new one wasnt completed until after I graduated. From what Ive seen of it, though, its massive and beautiful. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Chris: Los Angeles has to be the most diverse city in the world. Theres no question in my mind. If it exists in America, you can find it in LA. The range of food, cultural attractions, and even natural settings is unrivaled. Were 10 miles to the beach, two hours to Joshua Tree, a few hours from mountain skiing all while being in the middle of a metro area of 14 million. We have Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Little Armenia, Little Ethiopia, Little Thailand, West Hollywood Los Angeles has everything. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Chris: When I was there, USC had about 15,000 undergrads and 15,000 grad students. A large part of the grad students were on satellite campuses (the medical school is not on the main campus, for example), but it never felt crowded. The School of Theatre had pretty small classes, since most of it is participatory. My general education classes tended to be large lectures, maybe 150-200 students, but never more than that, and most or all of them had TA-led discussion sections that were usually 20-25 students. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Chris: Advanced Movement for the Actor with David Bridel in the spring of my sophomore year. He used the class to teach us clowning, which is the most freeing, joyful thing I have ever done. We learned that mistakes are not only inevitable and permissible, but can be beautiful as well. We learned that ones natural, authentic impulse is vital and vivid and moving. We learned that the truth about ourselves, in this moment, with these people, in this place above all else, is the most important thing to an actor. That class didnt just make me a better actor, it made be a better person. Check out Chris tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Tips for Teens with ADHD Procrastination Busters

Tips for Teens with ADHD Procrastination Busters In my last post I talked about reasons why ADHD and procrastination often go hand-in-hand. ADHD tendencies like preferring instant rewards over long-term payoffs, difficulty with time management, feeling overwhelmed and not knowing where to start, low self-confidence, and being easily distracted all contribute to difficulties with procrastination. Take a minute to read thought my last post and see if any of these ADHD tendencies apply to you. Once you understand why you procrastinate youll be able to take some simple steps to stop the procrastination cycle. Start with one or two of the procrastination busters below that you think might be most helpful for you. With the right strategies for you and your ADHD youll be able to stopping putting off all of those things that you should be doing today! Start small. Combat feelings of being overwhelmed by starting assignments quickly and starting small. The number one thing that I have seen help teens (and adults) with ADHD who procrastinate is starting on a project, essay, or study plan shortly after it has been assigned. The longer you wait the harder it is to get started. Getting started can just mean spending as little as 5 or 10 minutes working - just enough to make a dent in the assignment or task. Getting started builds your confidence and makes the task much easier to begin again when youre ready to work for a longer stretch of time. Create checklists. Many assignments and study plans will seem overwhelming when you think about them as a whole. But, when you break them down into smaller parts theyll start to seem much more doable. Break each assignment or study plan down into a checklist of manageable steps, and cross items off your list as you complete them. Not sure how to break an assignment down into smaller pieces? Start by thinking about the very first thing you need to do. Maybe it is reading a chapter and taking notes. Then think about the next step - review the notes and identify an essay theme; and then the next step create an essay outline, etc. Before you know it youll have a full list. If youre still not sure how to break an assignment down, ask for help from a teacher or friend. You might need some guidance before youre ready to do it on your own. Feed the need for instant gratification. Assignments, projects, and tests will always come with delayed rewards. Keep yourself motivated by giving yourself rewards along the way. Rewards can be things you like to do or things you want to buy. If theres a show that you really like to watch or a videogame that you love to play, consider only allowing yourself to watch it or play it whenever you finish an assignment. Other times, keep it off limits. If there is something you would really like to buy, ask your parents if theyll help by contributing money toward the item every time you complete an assignment or study for a test in advance. Sometimes having someone else in charge of handing out your rewards can be helpful, especially if you think youll be tempted to reward yourself even when you havent really earned it. Avoid procrastination triggers. Whats the number one thing you do when you procrastinate? Are you on your phone? Playing a videogame? Hanging out with friends? Whatever it is, it will continue to trigger procrastination as long as its around when you should be working. In many ways procrastination is a habit, and triggers make all habits harder to break. So, put your phone in another room even if its only for 30 minutes, dont allow yourself to play the videogame until youve finished your work, or go to a quiet place away from friends until youve accomplished what you need to get done. If websites are your trigger and you need to use your computer to do your work, then consider using a temporary website blocking app that you control. Ill review my favorite apps in my next post. Get help when you need it. Reaching your full potential with ADHD means having to rely on other people to help you accomplish some of your goals. When it comes to long-term projects or subjects that are a struggle, ask for help if youre not making progress on your own. If you have been planning to start studying for the SATs for months but havent even looked at a single vocabulary word, then chances are youre going to need someone to help you create and stick with a study plan. If you feel like youre falling behind in a subject and this is making it harder than ever to finish assignments on time, then talk to your teacher or find a tutor. Everyone does better when they have someone to help them get started, stay on task, and catch up on material they may have missed or dont understand. With ADHD having someone to help is even more important, so dont go it alone. Sometimes something as simple as asking a friend to call and remind you to get to work can go a long way. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.