What I wish I had known about USC

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of Southern California
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<p>menloparkmom, thank you for articulating so well what I think is a very real area where USC has room for improvement. As I said in earlier posts I’ve heard similar concerns from my son and was left wondering how can this be true from a university that has so much to offer. And clearly it does have a lot to offer which is all the more reason why it should address this especially in regard to GEs. They might be surprised to find that if they offered more stimulating GEs some of those students who think they are a waste of time and look for the easy way out might have the ‘unusual’ experience of a class that stimulates them and makes them want to learn for its own sake. And isn’t that a large part of what college should be all about.</p>

<p>Another poster also said, “However, the remaining 10% can be very important for students who have not yet figured out who they are and what they want, and tend to “roll with the punches”. For such students the direction of the punches matters” This quote really hits the nail on the head. I think especially for these kids offering intellectually stimulating GEs and intro courses really matters. My son was one of these - not offered TO - but ready and in need of a college experience that got him to wake up and start using his intelligence. He has had some classes like that at USC. He appreciates that, and it’s been a pleasure for me to see that happen. I only wish it happened more often…</p>

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<p>To leonine: Do you think your son is in the right major for his intellectual interests? I don’t know anything about the humanities at USC but it sounds like you are mostly disappointed with the English department. Has your son considered a minor in another department of greater interest? Also, if the GEs are really easy classes, do you think this is to provide an easier class each semester for those students who are in intense programs (pre-med, Engineering, etc.?). If it is any comfort to you, I am happy that my son is NOT in TO because he doesn’t need to read 20 books/write many papers a semester when he has the academic stimulation of Viterbi Engineering.</p>

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<p>Actually if I gave the impression that my son is unhappy in his major that’s is incorrect. The best classes he has taken are in his major. No complaints about the English dept except that it would be nice if there were a wider variety of courses. I hear you re the need sometimes for an easy class in a tough schedule, no problem with that. My son has often made those choices too. But I think GEs should also serve the purpose of exposing kids to subjects they might not otherwise study, of helping kids who are unsure about their majors discover their interests, and of providing the basis of a liberal arts education. I think the challenge is to provide that in such a way that kids are willing and not afraid to try something new -i.e. GEs shouldn’t be high pressure classes, but they should be stimulating… I’m sure there are some that are like that, but there could be more…</p>

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<p>I am confused about leonine’s academic concerns. Aren’t GE’s mostly taken freshman year? I thought you felt that your son did not have mostly challenging enough courses due to what you felt were less academically intense transfer students and weaker courses. i.e. you feel that your daughter had a better experience at Harvard. The lists of GEs look varied and long enough to me that any student would be exposed to a wide variety of academic disciplines. My complaint with the GEs is different–I wish USC would be able to give more GE credit for entering AP scores of 4 and 5 so that a student can concentrate more on a minor or classes of particular interest rather than choosing from a list of required classes.</p>

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<p>“But I think GEs should also serve the purpose of exposing kids to subjects they might not otherwise study, of helping kids who are unsure about their majors discover their interests, and of providing the basis of a liberal arts education. I think the challenge is to provide that in such a way that kids are willing and not afraid to try something new -i.e. GEs shouldn’t be high pressure classes, but they should be stimulating”</p>

<p>This was definitely the case at USC for my daughter…one of her freshman GE’s was on earthquakes and she discovered a great interest in and aptitude for Geology; one of her minors is now Geology with an emphasis in Geohazards.</p>

<p>Reading the comments above, I’m struck that perceptions both here and with others I’ve spoken with in person are so different…my daughter (a jr.) has felt very academically challenged and stimulated. (And she’s one of those who feels way too busy to post here, grin…) She hated high school, where so many students could have cared less about their education, and loves being in an atmosphere which is academically interesting and where studying is “cool.” In fact, she likes it so much she has even considered going on to be a professor as a career option. </p>

<p>I think, as others have indicated, it just depends in part on who you hang out with and what you choose individually to find/make of the USC experience.</p>

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<p>^^^PBK Mom, I couldn’t agree more. Each individual will have a different experience based, in large part, on their interests and what they choose to make of USC. Or any college, for that matter.</p>

<p>For those who seek out intellectual stimulation, it’s there. I am, for example, impressed with the Visions & Voices program. an excellent resource for students seeking exposure to new fields of thought. Last week alone, USC students could attend the following presentations–free, and most will host a reception, allowing students to meet the presenters afterwards:</p>

<p>Aesthetics and the Brain: A Lecture by Dr. Irving Biederman</p>

<p>Irving Biederman, the Harold W. Dornsife Professor of Neuroscience at USC and author of over 200 scientific publications, will present a lecture in conjunction with the exhibition Phantasmagoria: Specters of Absence, on display at the USC Fisher Museum of Art from September 3 through November 8. Dr. Biederman will explore the neural basis of aesthetics.</p>

<p>Terrorism & Television: </p>

<p>Panelists Howard Gordon, executive producer of 24; Dalia Hashad, director of Amnesty International USA’s program focusing on domestic human rights; Ronald D. Moore, executive producer of Battlestar Galactica; and writer Kamran Pasha of Sleeper Cell will join moderator Anthea Butler, visiting professor at Harvard Divinity School, for a conversation on television’s responses to 9/11 and whether they have shaped audience perceptions of good and evil. </p>

<p>Praxis & Poetry: Beyond the Walls of Medicine</p>

<p>Two moving and compelling readings and discussions that will bring the worlds of medicine and poetry together. Poet and physician William Rector will read from his poetry collection, Bill. Rector, head of gastroenterology at Kaiser Permanente in Colorado, writes with compassion and intellect about what it means to be a physician in the 21st century. Rector will be joined by poets Alex Lemon and Cody Todd. Lemon is an acclaimed writer whose poetry collections include Hallelujah Blackout and Mosquito. Todd is a USC graduate student whose chapbook To Frankenstein, My Father was published by Proem Press.</p>

<p>Creativity at a Crossroads: Art and Architecture in China
Wednesday, September 17, 7 p.m.
Bovard Auditorium
Admission is free.
Join four of China’s most influential figures in the global contemporary arts scene as they review visualizations of the People’s Republic—both the manufactured and the actual. This multidisciplinary panel will feature Ai Wei Wei, Beijing-based independent curator and owner of FAKE Design; Chi Peng, internationally exhibited conceptual photographer; Liu Jiakun, architect and principal of Chengdu-based Jiakun Architects; and Qingyun Ma, dean of the USC School of Architecture and principal of Shanghai-based architecture and design firm MADA s.p.a.m.</p>

<p>In addition, USC students were invited to attend the opera “Madame Butterfly” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (also free, including transportation to and from campus).</p>

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<p>For sports, I am being recruited to both right now. I am looking to double major in International Relations and Communications. I love the Westwood area, but in terms of campus am a big fan of SC. I am just so torn and looking for imput from people who go there, and why they like their school.</p>

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<p>For those majors, I think USC might be a better choice with Annenberg and the School of International Relations available. (definite bias there since I’m an IR student.)</p>

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<p>Oh wow! Do you like the classes offered to you? And do you feel that they are challenging/well-taught?</p>

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<p>So I’m starting SC in January and I was wondering if you could tell me how you like the international relations program and how its been for you</p>

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<p>COMM is <strong><em>the</em></strong> most impacted major at that other school in Westwood and admission can be iffy (you apply at the end of sophomore year). One of the regular posters on their forum is a COMM major, I forget her username but you should be able to figure it out relatively easily.</p>

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<p>It would be interesting to know if President Sample is aware of the discussion in this thread. Clearly, in order to maintain/improve SC’s academic reputation, strengthening of the non-TO classes is in order. I also think that GE’s are a perfect place to start. (To be fair, I’m only a few weeks into this, so we’ll see what my reaction is several months from now).</p>

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<p>My D is applying this year; disregarding the chances for admission, she is trying to decide whether to put down Marshall school of business or International Relations/global business in the college of A&S as her 1st choice. Does anyone have insights into the quality of either?</p>

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<p>okgal, the marshall school of business is ranked in the top 10 for business schools, and the IR program is really good. I’m actually going to major in IR when I get to SC. I got accepted undeclared and so I’ll just declare when I get there</p>

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<p>My Friend from UCI majored in Bio. He said it wasn’t challenging enough so he took a second major in English and then minored in African-American Studies. There are no excuses. We’re all adults here, if you want more, you’ll have to seek more. </p>

<p>As for the the original post, you first stated the stereotypes at your HS, question, did that number include you? It’s accepting students such as yourself that degrades the school’s outstanding reputation. </p>

<p>I’m a transfer. I worked hard in high school and graduated with honors. But being asian with very strict parents, they demanded that i major in bio (typical) and attend UCLA. I refused to do so and refused to go anywhere else but USC. I went to a CC first because it was the only alternative i felt would allow me to choose my own paths and give my parents time to slowly let go of their control. </p>

<p>I got into Marshall’s. It didn’t make me any less qualified than you were nor did i spend any less time studying here than you have. I am more the wiser because i was older when i came in and i value my experiences and studies that much more.</p>