<p>I'm a new transfer student who is finishing up the first week of classes. Anyway, I have to be honest, things have been pretty miserable. I commute daily from Pasadena and traffic, particularly during rush hour is driving me up a wall. Its a 17 mile drive and there have already been instances where its taken more than an hour to complete one leg. I know this is where you guys would suggest taking the (gold line/USC shuttle) but those take quite a while too. The problem mostly is that I feel a lengthy commute is holding me back from being connected to the campus/other people. Its hard to find ways to stay on campus for 10-12 hours a day for the various events/club meetings going on in the evening. The fact I am already an extremely quiet person just compounds things. I haven't made a single friend yet. It really feels like I don't actually go here.</p>
<p>Are there like options for housing in the spring or some other ideas? I did get housing, but had to decline because my financial aid only covered tuition.</p>
<p>Hey, if you need a fellow Trojan to give a shout out (and a transfer to boot), gimme a shout some time. I’ve got a crazy schedule, but I’m willing to slot some time for a fellow Trojan.</p>
<p>Just give me a shout via PM or what have you. I live off campus and I am much older than most of the undergrads, so I understand that it’s a bit of a different beast when it comes to the USC experience. Someone recommended the Transfer and Veteran Student Programs and I would also co-sign on that bit. </p>
<p>I know they held a luau (sp?) last week for transfer students, but if you knock on their door (TTC 330), I’m sure they’d be willing to put you in position to make a smoother transition.</p>
<p>Yeah, I meant just message me if you need any help (or want to add me on fb) with anything like that and I’ll try to point you in the right direction because I know how it feels to be a new transfer!</p>
<p>Have you tried taking more social oriented classes? I know a few classes on campus where everyone becomes fast friends.</p>
<p>I think being a commuter student is hard in general, especially at USC since so many people live there. But I think the transfer thing also hurts since you’re behind in the programs. I would try looking into the transfer group to see how other students are handling it.</p>
<p>You don’t want to commute to USC if you don’t have to. It stinks, and the school really is designed as a residential school. Unfortunately, they don’t have nearly enough housing, which is why the ballooning of the graduate student population in the last few years makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to me, beyond the school grabbing more tuition money.</p>
<p>I would check out the Transfer and Veteran student group. They have a lot of the same needs on the administrative side although obviously they can be two completely different groups… soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan versus students who did a year or two in a CC or who went to another school for a year or two and didn’t like it. But that group should help you acclimate much better.</p>
<p>I think you should also talk to the financial aid office about adjusting your aid so you can live on or close to campus. There’s too much going on and you’re going to lose out on the social aspect of college if you’re not there and in the mix. You can’t live with your folks forever and odds are good you’ll find some guys/gals you’ll want to room with soon enough.</p>
<p>Good luck! Transfer shock sucks but you’ll make it. You made it into a good school so congrats on making it this far. ;)</p>
<p>thanks for the tips guys. I’m going to look into this transfer group thing and see what they say. I think doing some type of housing is pretty much an inevitability, I talked to some people last week and they said I’m missing out if I don’t do it at least 1 semester. Its just a matter of when. </p>
Have you joined the Transfer and Veteran Club?</p>