Questions for current USC students Forum

[musicfor18]

Any current USC students out there? I am seriously considering USC as my top choice, but would love to get some input, as I will not be able to visit. Any candid answers to these questions would be much appreciated:

1) How is quality of life? I'll be bringing my wife and baby (due in June). Do you know of any other USC law students with families?
2) How is the neighborhood? I hear alternately that it is nice and that it is terrible.
3) Are you happy at USC? With classes, student body, etc?

Thank you very much for your help!

[afghan007]

I'm interested on any input as well though my situation is a little different (I'll be 22, single, and straight out of UG).

Availability/desirability of housing within walking/biking distance of campus?
Extent of national placement?

[djgoldbe]

Any current USC students out there? I am seriously considering USC as my top choice, but would love to get some input, as I will not be able to visit. Any candid answers to these questions would be much appreciated:

1) How is quality of life? I'll be bringing my wife and baby (due in June). Do you know of any other USC law students with families?
2) How is the neighborhood? I hear alternately that it is nice and that it is terrible.
3) Are you happy at USC? With classes, student body, etc?

Thank you very much for your help!

Well, I am USC undergrad not law, but the law school is right on the regular campus so I will tell you what I can.

1) The weather is obviously nice. Being from Chicago, its very nice to be able to go outside in a T-shirt in February. Rent is insanely overpriced near campus. (As in, a decent 2 bedroom apt within a mile of campus is going to cost you $1500+ a month or so at least) USC is building a good amount of new housing for undergrads which should lessen the problem, but I would still imagine you and your family are (depending on your financial situation) going to have to live at least downtown (3 miles?) - which is significant because you will have to drive. Which gets me to the point of infamous LA traffic which is not understated. Parking (if you buy a spot in one of USCs parking garages which is not terribly expensive) is not horrible, but traffic can take you 30 minutes from just 5-6 miles away. Since your child is just an infant I wouldn't imagine you are going to need a lots of room for him/her to play outside or what not, but if you want a more green/spacious area your also going to need to venture a ways out.

2) When I first went to USC I was told I would hear gunshots all night. Let me just assure you, the USC neighborhood is nothing to be fearful about security wise BEYOND what you would imagine in any urban inner city setting. As in, yes there is crime sometimes and there are people who get robbed but it isn't like you need to carry mace in hand where ever you walk. Just be mindful of walking late at night/early morning and in dark areas and you will be just fine. In terms of the actual neighborhood, I would say it is somewhere in between nice and terrible. In the immediate area, there isn't much in the way of food - it is mostly fast food - which is annoying if you're on campus and want a decent meal and don't feel like driving. We are very close to downtown and the staples center is literally visible down figeroa which is nice if your a lakers fan (and, they have really been building up the downtown / staples center area and it has several restaurants now and some shopping - all about 2 miles from campus). So, overall I would say the neighborhood is livable for sure especially if you have a car to use and are living a ways out. Add in the proximity to other areas in LA and it definitely offers a lot to do. (However, and this is a big however, if you are looking for a convenient / nice / quiet area for you and your family, that is NOT what you will be getting at USC)

3) As I said I am undergrad and I don't have a family, so my interpretations probably differ a good bit. I (personally) liked USC academically and loved the campus. The students are, on the whole, serious about learning which I liked. The 2 law professors I knew were both brilliant and tough, and I can only imagine the rest are similar. So you are on solid footing there as well. For me, however, I found myself desiring a more relaxed, convenient, nature'y experience. USC and LA are just a bit too crowded, polluted, and cement covered for my tastes. If you can afford it, there are places that you and your family could find (a condo or town home) that would offer a bit more family-centric lifestyle, but you would need to commute a good ways to class and back. So, all I can say is it really depends on what you can afford and what kind of lifestyle you want to be living.

Hope that helps