<p>Hey guys,
I'm thinkin of applyin to USC but I have a problem. I'll be coming from TN (if i go there) and will not take my car with me, because its way too far. I know a lot of the people at USC live in CA and they go home on the weekends. Is it really boring on the weekends or will I find stuff to do? Also how much of a pain is it not to have a car?
Thanks.</p>
<p>Hey there,
Except for parties and such on the row on weekend nights, it does get pretty boring and empty on campus during the weekends. Most people are gone during the weekend, plus most of the on-campus dining locations (such as Commons and some of the cafes) are also closed on weekends. Only the 2 main dining halls (EVK and Parkside) as well as Jamba Juice, Starbucks @ Cafe 84, and Trojan Grounds are the only places open. One of my friends luckily has a car and we've been able to go explore LA with him when he's available. Yesterday, he was busy, so my friends and I hopped on a Metro Rapid bus to Santa Monica. The bus system isn't all that bad as people assume it is, but I wouldn't take any bus after dark.</p>
<p>As for "how much of a pain it is to not have a car", let's just say that you will survive without one, but your life will be depressing if you don't make friends with someone with one.</p>
<p>I am also from out of state and without a car, my roommate, her boyfriend, and I went out to Universal Studios the other night go to Cityy Walk, the Metro System in LA isn't bad at all. I wouldn't even worry too much about being out after dark, although I wouldn't do it alone, and I would be back at a reasonable hour and be aware of the surroundings. I don't think there are any major reasons you would need to have a car if it would be a hassle to bring one.</p>
<p>My son got through his first year without a car although I'm not sure he regarded it as the most socially successful period of his life. He did make friends with people who had cars. However, we bought a car for him his second year because we felt he needed it to have a reasonable opportunity to get off-campus film internships. This summer he stayed in LA and got a paid job as an PA on a film shot in Malibu. He wouldn't have been able to do that without a car.</p>
<p>You can get by, but having a car in Los Angeles REALLY helps. Public transportation is NOT one of the city's strong points. </p>
<p>As far as the campus on weekends, it is certainly jumping on football (home) game days and with the new Galen Center opening soon (basketball, volleyball, concerts, etc.) there looks to be more activity in the future. but, presently, for the most part the SC campus is relatively quiet on most weekends.</p>
<p>there is certainly plenty to do in and around LA and if you are interested in the greek system, you'll find more activities there as SC has a fairly strong greek presence.</p>
<p>I really wish I had my car, I actually could use it for class fieldtrips(which transportation is not provided). On the weekends it would be nice to be able to go somewhere and just get off campus. It can sometimes be very boring on the weekends, as many people who do live in the area go home.</p>