<p>I am a junior considering USC. If I do get in it will be a financial stretch for my family. We are upper middle class and my parents income is high, but our cost of housing and living is also high due to where we live. </p>
<p>If I attend USC I wont have a lot of extra spending money for weekends and activities like outings in the city, entertainment, eating out etc., as they simply cant afford it. Ill be comfortable though and able to maintain the same lifestyle that I currently enjoy with my friends which is pretty simple. We are all similar in terms of background and financial resources. I am perfectly fine with that at this time. My parents dont want me to work either when I am in college, as they want me to just go to school and concentrate on that.</p>
<p>My question is: will it be difficult to find friends and a social circle at USC? Yes, I know there are all types of students from different backgrounds and socioeconomic classes. But I also read that there are many wealthy kids there too. Do people usually go out on weekends and do activities that are costly? I dont want to feel like the odd one out or judged because of my inability to participate in activities.</p>
<p>I am also considering some of the UCs like Davis and UCLA. My feeling is that at those schools there will be more of a spectrum of students and maybe it will be easier for me to make friends and fit in.</p>
<p>I am not basing where I go on the friends/money issue, but I wanted to get an idea of if there is really a vast difference in social climate/money between USC and the UCs.</p>
<p>I really like USC though for the academics and the vibrant feeling I felt there. I dont even know if I will get in, but I do want to achieve a happy medium and have a balance. Thanks in advance for any advice or wisdom.</p>
<p>That stereotype does not hold true at USC anymore. Close to 70% of students here are on need based aid. USC also has more international students than any other school in the states so there is a lot of diversity. No matter what background you come from, you will be able to make friends here. UCLA’s median family income is actually higher than USC these days but I can’t really say whether this really matters. If you want to get involved in activities, consider joining an active student org. The one I was on the eboard for organized socials on most weekends and everyone hung out together all the time and even though some people didn’t have cars to drive in we all made sure everyone was able to go.</p>
<p>If you are upper-middle class you will be WEALTHIER than most students at USC.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry too much about having/not having money, there are many student in a similar situation.</p>
<p>Viking,</p>
<p>According to the freshmen profile USC enrolled 23% Pell Grant recipients in the class that entered in 2011. About 14% were the first in their family to attend college.</p>
<p>Also, 58% of the freshmen were from public high schools.</p>
<p>At any large university you are going to find students from wealthy families. You are also going to find students from families who have made huge financial sacrifices to make it possible for their senior to attend.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the helpful replies. Another question I had was about getting around in LA without a car? Is public transit efficient if I want to do things on weekends? Or will it take a long time. I know for sure that I won’t have a car.</p>
<p>Also I heard that the area around USC is not the safest and somewhat sketchy. Is it safe to take public transit?</p>
<p>Viking- just talking to a friend that lives in LA who told me that now UCLA students are getting robbed in Westwood which was considered extremely safe- some have been armed robberies and students were assaulted in two if I remember correctly. My point is that no matter where you attend college, you need to stay aware of your surroundngs.</p>
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<p>S is attending this fall and was worried about transportation as well but after checking it out, is feeling good about it.</p>
<p>Viking, you could always use Zip car to get around if you want to drive somewhere every so often. They are available on campus and you can rent them (in advance is better) when you need them. </p>
<p>D was so busy on campus and with USC sponsored activities (which provided transportation) that she didn’t even miss her car---- and she’s a Californian used to driving everywhere. Friends and floor mates also had cars for getting to events when needed.</p>
<p>Become friends with someone who has a car! More upperclassmen do as they tend to live off campus.</p>
<p>Thanks again. So how far are stores like Target etc. from USC? Places to pick up daily items, school supplies, snacks, clothes etc.</p>
<p>Target is opening soon downtown at 7th/Fig (about 3 miles away), there is a Ralphs on Vermont/Adams, CVS on 32nd/Fig, and of course the soon to be demolished University Village across the street.</p>
<p>Relax. Everyone is as broke as you will be (except maybe the super-wealthy kids). I had a similar situation, coming from a place with a high cost of living and I came to a couple of realizations. The first one was that depending on where you go, food and entertainment is ridiculously cheap. The Food 4 Less down Jefferson has really low prices (just don’t go after dark), the UV has cheap movies, etc. Your friends will also want to save money, probably. </p>
<p>Second, getting a job from USC is a great idea. I know it sounds like it might distract you from school, but a job raised my GPA. Most USC jobs are untaxed, and involve sitting behind a desk each week. You really don’t do anything besides surf the web and do assignments. That ended up paying for my dues, which I didn’t think I could afford.</p>
<p>This sounds encouraging. Is it easy to find a job on campus or is it competitive? What kinds of jobs are available and is there a minimum amount of hours you need to commit?</p>
<p>There are a ton of jobs on campus. Most of them are part time and flexible around your schedule. I imagine most would require 12 hours or something like that as a minimum but you can easily fit it into your schedule if you want.</p>
<p>Some jobs are competitive (e.g. Tour Guides, Football jobs, anything that pays over $11 an hour) but many of these require more hours per week. For example, tour guides have to give a certain number of one and a half hour tours per week, and Football managers put in 30+ hours per week. Tour guides and most athletics jobs require interviews, and I know the football manager job has tryouts. Other really cushy jobs require connections within USC (i.e. an administrator or someone who already works there). I know the gas station pays like $12 but you need to know someone to get it generally. To get a 12 hour per week $8 an hour (tax-free!) job aint no big thang though.</p>