Student Blog
Living in LA

Time to be an International Student ⟩
September 7, 2018, by Goeun

International Life Hacks Living in LA

I started the Post Professional Master’s program in August, but I came here in LA about one year ago (I was learning English in the USC International Academy). It’s been a while since I came here, but I remember how it was excited when you are admitted to USC, but at the same time, nervous and worried about leaving my own country, and become an international student. So, I’d like to give you some of my tips that can be helpful. Before I begin, I recommend you to be familiar with the USC Office of International Services and the USC Office of Graduate Admission websites as well as our Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy website as there is lots of information for international students.

1. Finding the best housing
   First of all, we have OT house where our students can live together. Also, there are several options you can choose based on your preference, and the first thing you can think of is “University housing or not?” If you decide to live through university housing, check out the USC housing website to find appropriate housing for you. If you plan to live through non-university, you can find your housing with the USC Daily Trojan website or other outside resources. Also, there are options where you can live if you arrive earlier, the USC Office of International Services has some options for early arrivers. In my own experience, I lived in university housing for 11 months, then I moved to non-university housing recently. What I liked about university housing most was accessibility to campus. I lived close to the International Academy, so I could walk to school. When it comes to non-university housing, I live in Korea town, so I need to take a metro and school shuttle to go to school, but I like living here because I can go to Korean restaurants or markets which I go often. Finding a housing is not an easy process, and it is slightly different depends on where you live.
2. What should I pack?
   It is hard to say what to pack or not because it is totally up to you. But considering about living in LA, there are some things that you need to know. The weather in LA is mostly sunny and mild, so you may not wear winter clothes often although it’s quite cold at night (for me). Also, never forget to bring all your documents that are important (e.g. academic documents, I-20, health and immunization records).
3. Living in LA
   Some of my classmates from the Post-Professional Master’s Program told me that one of the reasons they chose USC was the location, which I agree since there are so many things to explore. Yes, our school is located in LA, which means you can have a variety of experiences that you’ve never done in your own country. We have USC event calendar which you can see all the events. Also, you can simply find more information on other websites and explore what you want.
4. English
   What I felt when I got my IELTS score was that I got enough score, so no need to study harder! However, if you are living in a non-English speaking country, and not used to using English, I do highly recommend you to keep using and practicing English because when it comes to language, even if you got a very high score on exam, when you stop using it, it will become harder to use it as before. Also, you need to adapt to school, lectures as well as new cultures, environments, and if you are comfortable using English, you’ll adapt faster.

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New School Year, New Home ⟩
September 7, 2018, by Melissa

Life Hacks Living in LA

I’ve recently made the move from Redondo Beach to Downtown LA in order to be closer to campus, and I couldn’t be happier. I never thought of myself as someone who could thrive in a bustling city, yet I find myself falling in love with the city more and more every day.  Aside from being closer to campus, I get to do a lot more walking, which has been great for both my physical and mental health, especially since life has become more sedentary sitting in class for most of the day. Whether I’m going to the grocery store, checking out a new restaurant, or visiting a museum, I try to get there on foot as often as I can. Not only am I burning some extra calories and releasing some much-needed endorphins (to counteract the stress from grad school), I’m also avoiding the notoriously awful LA traffic. No matter how you look at it, it’s a win-win!

Downtown LA has grown tremendously in the last decade, and I feel like I’m hearing about a hot new restaurant or bar that’s just opened up every week! I’m subscribed to Thrillist in Los Angeles, which sends me updates on all the new stuff going on in LA, including downtown. I highly recommend subscribing if you’re looking for fun new things to do!

Kaitlyn, who was one of the student ambassadors last year, made a terrific list of some of her favorite places to eat in all of LA and some were here in downtown! I wanted to go a bit more in depth and share some of my favorite places to eat, as well as some other great places to check out here in downtown and the surrounding area.

Restaurants

Perch: this restaurant has some of the best views in downtown LA, the food is great, and the cocktails are amazing! An added perk is that the space itself is beautifully decorated and totally Insta-worthy. I love to go for brunch on a sunny weekend in LA.

Preux & Proper: I just went to this place last weekend after having it on my list of places to check out for months, and I’ve got to say it didn’t disappoint. The dishes are family-style, so going with a group of friends is perfect! Like Perch, the décor is awesome and unique, which adds to the experience.

Bar Ama: This is one of my favorite places to go to for delicious Mexican food. Being Mexican myself, I love their twist on traditional plates. Tip: they have a “Super Nacho Hour” from 5:30pm-7pm on weekdays, which is their version of a happy hour. You can get discounted food and drinks, including their super nachos!

Zinc Café in Arts District: For all of my vegetarians out there, this is a great place to go for delicious food and a ridiculously cozy atmosphere (see my picture below!) It’s a little hidden gem in the Arts District that has delicious food like wood fired pizzas and veggie pastas. Grab a table outside under the lights on a warm LA evening and you’re set.

Additional things to do

The Last Bookstore: I personally love a good book. This was one of the spots I was dying to go to when I first moved to Los Angeles and it did not disappoint! Not only does it have an extensive collection of books on sale, it also has so much character and is uniquely decorated. There are plenty of fun photo opportunities as well, and for my music lovers, they also sell records!

The Broad Museum: This museum is a must-see. It has one of the largest collections of post-war and contemporary art in the world, and they constantly have different exhibitions on show.  One of the most memorable for me was the infinity room! Another great thing about this museum is that admission is free, which is always appreciated as a student.

The Griffith Observatory/Griffith Park: I’m an avid hiker, so going to Griffith Park allows me to engage in that meaningful occupation and swing by the Griffith Observatory if I want to. The park offers an abundance of trails to go on (ranging from easy to hard) and the observatory offers some amazing views of LA and fun shows to watch!

Extra

Street Food Cinema: STF offers a variety of different movies at the park and it is one of my favorite things to do here in LA! The parks are all over Los Angeles, so if you don’t live near downtown, don’t fret! In addition to the movie, there’s a band that plays while the sun goes down, and there are a variety of food trucks parked nearby that offer delicious food! However you can always bring your own food and beverages and have a nice picnic.

I’m awful at taking pictures but I’m making a conscious effort to take more from now on so that I can share them with all of you! This is just the tip of the iceberg, so feel free to reach out for more recommendations! Happy exploring!

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Lovely Day Spent on UPC ⟩
September 7, 2018, by Serena

Life Hacks Living in LA

USC has a few campuses. As an OT student I find myself at both the University Park Campus (UPC) and Health Science Campus (HSC).

University Park Campus, more commonly known as Main Campus, is most likely the campus you think of when you envision USC. It is where the undergraduate programs are located. Doheny Library, Tommy Trojan, and the main bookstore (which has 4 levels!!!) are all located on UPC.

HSC, Health Science Campus, is where most of the healthcare graduate programs are located, like the medical school, physical therapy department, and OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY department! It is also where Keck Medical Hospital and La County Hospital are located. As an OT student, you have all of your classes on HSC.

A few times a week, I take the free intershuttle tram or drive to study on UPC which takes about 20-30 minutes. I travel to UPC for MANY reasons but below I have listed three of my favorite places on UPC.

1. Kortschak Center for Learning and Creativity (KCLC)
Kortschak Center for Learning and Creativity (KCLC) is an academic support center for USC students. As graduate students, we can receive their services during walk in hours. KCLC holds individual academic guidance sessions, workshops, academic support groups, and quiet study spaces with yoga mats, ear plugs, and highlighters. They even have fidget toys that you can borrow when you are studying in the center! Academic coaches’ focus is on but is not limited to enhancing time management skills, goal-setting tips, and self care strategies to promote optimal academic success. Their website has many useful resources that you can access on their Tools and Resources page. The academic coaches are in the Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs, Marriage and Family Therapy, Education in Educational Counseling, and of course Occupational Therapy program. I will be completing my Level I Fieldwork at KCLC this semester so I am looking forward to blogging and sharing my experience as an OT student at the center.

2. The Writing Center
The Writing Center is another great resource for USC students wishing to enhance their writing abilities. Their lovely writing consultants help you understand and problem solve using strategies that will allow you to be more self-efficient writers in the future. The Writing Center offers services in the form of both individual consultations and small-group workshops. As an OT student, you may find The Writing Center to be helpful with your in class papers, projects, and scholarships. In addition, if becoming a writing consultant is of interest to you while you are in the OT program, you can even apply to work part-time at the center and help other students excel!

3. USC Village
The USC Village opened in 2017 as a huge relief to many students who were missing their everyday shops like Trader Joe’s and Target. At the Village you can shop, dine, and exercise. You can even get your nails, hair, and eyebrows done because we all know the importance of self-care! 😊 For me, the relaxing and peaceful environment is the most attractive aspect of the newly built complex. Sitting under the umbrella tables next to the beautiful water fountain is one of my favorite places to study on UPC. It is also a nice area to meet other students pursuing other professional degrees.

Here I have highlighted just a few of my favorite places on UPC. As an OT student at USC, the number of resources are endless, which is one of the many reasons why I decided to complete my Master’s in Occupational Therapy at this wonderful institution. What a beautiful experience it is to be a part of a community that is always providing the best support and resources to their students. The USC community is always developing new ways to enhance their students’ ability to learn! If you have any questions, like always, please feel free to reach out to me!

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Campus Quiet ⟩
July 30, 2018, by Bethany

Living in LA

Summertime is a strange time to be on campus. There are less people riding bikes, skateboards, and URBEs to class. The squirrels are running around less because of the heat. Football season doesn’t start until the upcoming semester. Doheny Library is even more quiet than usual. Less students are taking classes in the Von KleinSmid Center.

But campus is still bright with life. Prospective students on Campus Tours shout their first ever Fight On! at Tommy Trojan. Band members gather for a few summer gig opportunities. Younger middle school and high school students in summer programs explore campus, wearing their identical lanyards. Incoming freshmen and transfer students head to Orientation to pick their new classes and learn about USC life from their incredible Orientation Advisors. Student workers on campus take their lunch breaks at Lemonade or work out at the gym after a shift in their research lab.

Even during these warmer months, it’s still a great time to be at our Trojan home away from home. We get to enjoy everything LA has to offer, too, whether it be night trips to the Griffith Park Observatory or taking advantage of student-priced tickets to the LA Live movie theater. And less of a crowd on campus means less of a line at the USC Village’s Honeybird!

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Los Angeles Living! ⟩
February 9, 2018, by Ali

Housing and Transportation Living in LA

The ambassadors and I have been receiving a lot of questions about where we live in Los Angeles to commute to the Health Science Campus (HSC) for class! I wanted to shed some light on my living situations and hopefully answer some of your questions.

My first year in the program I lived in a house within a five minute walking distance to the University Park Campus (UPC). I loved living near the main campus of USC with the undergraduate community I still wanted to be a part of. Around the main campus there is the new campus village which has everything from Target to Trader Joes to two Starbucks locations! I took the USC Intercampus Shuttle to and from the main campus to the Health Science Campus each day. The shuttle was convenient and a great place to take a nap or finish up some last minute homework. Living near the main campus was great for me because I loved running around that campus and taking the ten minute drive to downtown LA for some great food and nightlife!  The OT House is also located near UPC, so there was a lot of OT friends nearby which is always great. See Caroline’s post to read more about the OT house!

For my second year I decided to move to Palms, which is a small neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles. The rent is affordable and I love being closer to the beach as well as the benefits of learning a whole new part of Los Angeles. My commute ranges from twenty minutes to fifty minutes by car depending on traffic. Although I am from a small suburb in Sacramento, California, I am already used to the traffic that Los Angeles throws at us. I’ve learned that leaving at 7pm versus 5pm can make the world of difference. I either stick around campus after class and study at the library to wait for traffic to die down or I turn on a podcast and use the longer drive as a time to recharge alone!  I also live right on by a metro stop and can take the metro to explore LA easily, which is an added bonus to my relocation. To read more about moving to LA and navigating a this city without a car read Linah’s post! Living in Palms has also been a nice change because it is a little further form downtown so there is less congestion around my apartment and it feels more like a neighborhood!

USC OT students live all over Los Angeles. People live anywhere from across the street in Currie Hall (Pro tip: see Kaitlyn’s post about living in Currie Hall!) to Orange County. Everyone has his or her own solution to find the right space and place in order to be successful in graduate school. If you have any questions about housing please feel free to reach out!

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