Hi! I was recently accepted to USC as a transfer student from Northeastern. At first, I was so happy! And then I realized I know absolutely NOTHING about California and what it’s like studying there compared to Boston. I’m going into my junior year, where am I gonna live? Do I need to start driving? Are people there international like me? Do I need to learn the Cali lingo beforehand? I feel like I would be going to another planet honestly and it scares me. I grew up in Belgium and coming to Boston was pretty easy for me since my school has like 40% international kids and its pretty standard that the first two years you stay on campus and then move out to your own apartment. Is that how it works at USC? I have way too many questions and absolutely no connections in California, anyone from USC wanna help me out please?
We’re a “melting pot” of people from many countries. No CA specific language acquisition is necessary. Just relax. It’s all cool here.
A mod should move this to a USC forum. @CADREAMIN is a USC expert and will be able to answer your specific USC questions.
Find out if you can live on campus since the area surrounding USC is not safe.
There are a lot of international students, but the majority are of Asian or Indian descent. Some of the international students are quite wealthy. I remember sitting behind this Chinese dude in a science class and he was on his laptop shopping for $300 pairs of sweatpants, lol. I was so amazed. If you live on/near campus, there’s really no need to drive. A lot of people just use Lyft or Uber to get around LA. I knew this one guy that took the Metro to get to his internship in Santa Monica. Cars aren’t a necessity. Transfers don’t always get on-campus housing, so yeah, you’d probably have to look for apartments off-campus. Many are super close though. There’s this place called Gateway and it is literally just one block away from USC. It’s so close it might as well be called on-campus housing. It’s a bit on the expensive side though. As long as you know “fight on”, you’ll be fine. I remember a guy who literally said “live strong” instead and that was a bit awkward. Sounds like he didn’t do his homework.
LA is not a pedestrian-friendly city. Frankly, getting around without a car isn’t very easy. I do suggest you get a drivers license, so that you can at least rent a car when you want to explore. It’s America, people speak the same language, and you don’t need special words. USC is rigorous and you will be studying, just like at Northeastern.
You need to seriously consider where you will live. It’s expensive and some of the neighborhoods around USC are not great. It’s would have been better if you had thought about the practicalities of life in LA before you applied for your transfer, but you still have time to figure it out. Head over to,the USC forum and post there. Probably good to get involved with a USC Facebook page or similar.
A few days ago, I posted this in the transfer section: For you all who were admitted as transfers, apply for USC housing ASAP and pay the small deposit. There is a long wait list and housing is going through the list to fill as students that have previously secured a housing spot change their minds (i.e., admitted to fraternity/sorority, go abroad to study internationally, or other reasons, etc.). For USC housing, if you are looking to be assigned with a specific roommate, it is difficult. If an opening is available, USC will offer it based on the date you signed up and if you turn it down, you loose your spot and I think you go to the end of the list or are off the list. S was admitted last year May 1st and ended up with 2 random roommates in a 1 bedroom USC apartment (offered a housing spot around May 15). It worked out well and he got along great with these 2 roommates. Last year, transfers admitted late May and after mostly did not get USC housing. Maybe this year is different. Alternatively, be open to private housing near campus before they start filling up.
@CADREAMIN is very knowledgeable on USC housing and private housing around campus.
@purple229 So let’s break down you worries and questions:
To be honest, this one made me giggle a little bit, just because USC is so internationally flavored, it is hard to imagine someone doesn’t know this. And there really is no California lingo, just don’t call SF, “San Fran” and you will be good (wink to locals). Besides USC, it is LA/Socal, home of e-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y. Go to the Ronald Tutor Center at lunch and it feels like a popular tourist destination in NYC or Paris on a Saturday. Lots of people, languages and perspectives flying around. You will be good in that regard. Did you apply sight unseen? Now that you are accepted are you checking it out first or just showing up in the fall?
No, but you should. Everyone should know how to drive. But between free Lyft/Uber (think it’s still Lyft, use to be Uber) and Campus Cruiser, you are covered around campus and 2 miles around campus for free. And downtown is a 10 minute uber. Plus, so many people have cars there, you will be able to get rides from friends and go on adventures. But still, learn to drive.
Yes, statistically, very few jr/sr live on campus, a few but not many, most juniors on campus are transfers.Those that have been there since freshman year want to move on to “grown up” housing with less rules. Heed the advice of @UCBUSCalum and apply for housing asap, although chances of getting it at this point are slim. So start looking at options around campus. If off campus I would look at Gateway with it’s location, wading pool, safety, etc., the only complaint I hear about Gateway fron students is it can still feel like dorm living (versus the standard junky house where you are free to throw crap in yard), but for many, Gateways offers so much - location, ease, close to food, that makes it attractive (I confess us parents like it cause it’s easy - safe and pay by bed are pretty much our criteria). And it may be the only thing close by with availablility - it will fill up too if it hasn’t already. Also, there are zillions of people at Gateway, not sure you want to be isolated in a small apartment building or house where you would meet less people? But there are property managers that could help you find a room in a house if you want to go that way.
USC is an urban area, but you are familiar with those. There are areas of urban grime outside the USC area, but the campus and Village are gorgeous and the blocks in close proximity of campus are fine. I was surprised to see that the area just on the outside of USC is more working class than slummy or sketchy as others described (I since learned most that describe it that way actually haven’t been there). But I grew up in a midwest city where you park near the projects to get to the ball stadium, so my idea of bad neighborhood is different than people that live in a different bubble than I did. There is a natural boundary to USC - Exposition/Vermont/Adams/Hoover is the informal circle of campus and you want to live within that if not on campus.
What is your major? And sorta on the same train as @Lindagaf here - why are you coming to USC if you don’t know anything about it? What is the draw? Northeastern and Boston are both cool places to be too.
There are a lot of people on here that have connected up and there are FB pages or other social groups set up…if you put out a bit more about yourself, someone may ask about rooming together on here or refer you to other sites they are gathering at…this site has introduced quite a few room mates.
As a SoCal Mom with kids who are both lifers, I don’t think we have a lingo. I’ve been told we are the only folks who say “the” before the freeway numbers so USC is near the intersection of THE 10 and THE 110. LA is thankfully very diverse and USC seems to attract a diverse set of students as well.
There is public transportation and it’s great downtown (LA Live, Grand Park, Union Station, Chinatown), but it’s harder if you have specific places you want to go say in the San Fernando Valley.
Good luck!
I love the THE in front of freeways in SoCal. If I try the same in NorCal it just sounds funny. It’s a total SoCal thing!
And @purple229 I just reread my post…didn’t mean to sound judgey about transferring, but rather am just curious what you are looking to do and get out of USC. We might be able to help you more with that info.
Ha! Here on the East Coast, I sometimes get funny looks for saying THE. Everything in LA is referenced by what freeway it’s closest too.
With regards to natural boundaries @CADREAMIN mentioned in looking for housing and venturing by foot, I would only add Figueroa St. on the east side of campus. Anything east of Figueroa begins to get sketchy. You probably want to print out a campus map and get a visual map view of the campus and the “safe” boundaries. Those natural boundaries have high patrolled security and cameras. Also there is free shuttle and I believe the free Uber goes another mile beyond that border.
Wait… non Californians don’t say things like “the I-15”?? What do they say instead?
Anyway, OP, LA is very diverse, I don’t think you’ll have a problem fitting in. Despite what people think, there’s no SoCal lingo, none of us actually talk like surfers! And I second what other people said about getting a license.
Southern Californians may say things like “the 1-15” but it’s illegal once you’re north of Santa Barbara or thereabouts. 
Unless its pacific coast highway in which case you would say “Take PCH” No one would say “Take the PCH”. Another lingo point is never ever say “Frisco” when mentioning SF. Even more pejorative than “San Fran”.
Re: driving, yes get a license but you should be able to Uber/Lyft many places especially if you share a ride with fellow students/friends and its a lot cheaper than getting a DUI/DWI 
My neighbor moved here from India with $20 in his pocket and he and family are doing swimmingly.
Aren’t Belgians passionate about bicycling? Is USC bicycle friendly?
Yes @UCBUSCalum is correct, my oops - Figueroa is boundary street on that side of campus rather than Hoover.
Lots of people have bikes on campus, it is totally flat but can be crowded sometimes in certain areas on a bike.
After five years, the only key lingo difference that I have noticed, per my daughters, is that people in L.A. refer to Interstate highways as “freeways” vs Interstates or Highways. The “I” in “I-10” does in fact stand for Interstate or Interstate Highway after all lol. Other than that, the way people talk in SoCal has been much the same as the way we speak in Florida. A move to NYC or Boston or Philadelphia instead, for example, might have takes some getting used to in terms of many word replacements. But transitioning to L.A. is a simple one for most. As stated above, USC is very international and cosmopolitan in flavor.
As for housing, I also recommend Gateway or at least staying with the monitored DPS zone or even better… within the “informal circle of campus” as described above.
Here is a link to that map… https://transnet.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/SafeRides_UPC_cropped.jpg
Good luck…
Hello. I’ll be attending USC next year and I have a few questions regarding safety. I apologize beforehand if some of these questions are dumb. With that being said, is it dangerous to wear a red jacket/blue jacket or red shirt/blue shirt at USC and around the area? I understand how USC is surrounded by gang territory so I am worried about wearing the wrong color and being mistaken for a gang member. Also, is the color green dangerous to wear as well? What colors would be safe to wear? Would wearing any USC clothing that is red also put oneself at risk? I want to know because safety is of the upmost importance to me.
USC is not surrounded by gangs and everyone at USC wears USC clothes and the color red. Don’t go into gang areas in any city wearing the wrong clothes, that is something you learn in grade school, but you won’t be in those areas at USC. Those issues pertain to very specific streets in big cities. Two to five miles within a city might as well be 100 miles away, it’s a different world. But USC is not in the middle of a gang zone. Geeez. Did you visit the school? Google satellite maps could be your friend too. Green is good on March 17. Those rich and non rich USC students are not getting confused as being gang members. Relax.
If you Google “gang maps of LA”, every map shows gang activity right outside the USC borders, and yes, it’s pretty much surrounded.