Bridget D., Bachelor of Business (Marketing)/Bachelor of Creative Industries (Fashion Communication)
University of South Carolina (Semester 2, 2017)

Life on Campus

USC’s campus boasts historic buildings and beautiful gardens. The Horseshoe green space is a particularly nice place to relax with friends. I found the facilities available to students were also pretty comprehensive. The school has two great fitness centers that are free for students, a centrally located health care center and relatively accessible laundry rooms.

I lived in an apartment style residence hall called Woodrow with two other Aussie girls. It was only two bedrooms but the rooms were a generous size and there was a half wall in the shared room. The apartment also had a small kitchen with the basics, a living area and bathroom. Woodrow was very centrally located, on the outer layer of the Horseshoe and right by the library and Russell House (a main dining facility, student centre and book store). It is one of the oldest residence halls at USC and was showing its age but was overall quite comfortable. I would, however, recommend one of the newer buildings to future USC students (e.g. Rutledge which has its own washer/dryer and a superior kitchen and bathroom). Lugging all your washing to another building and waiting around while it processes is inconvenient.

There was never a dull moment at USC with the hype around sports making volleyball, basketball and soccer great sources of entertainment during the week while the football culture on the weekends was definitely a highlight. The university and its student clubs also presented the opportunity to enjoy numerous events or activities throughout the semester.

Top 5 Tips

1. If you are given a “Mint Sim” in your acceptance package I definitely recommend using it. It was super easy to manage activation, usage and cancellation via the app and meant that as soon as I arrived in the States I could use my phone.
2. Utilise the university’s food plans. Given the small kitchen, minimal free time and shared space/cookware, getting your food at the on-campus dining facilities is simplest. I would recommend a “declining balance” plan due to the restrictions on meal based plans (e.g. only one meal swipe per meal time period).
3. Pack light! The chances are you will only wear half of what you brought. You can rule out clothes that require ironing unless you plan to buy an iron. Campus style is super casual (most girls wear exercise shorts and over sized t-shirts or jumpers) and you will get plenty of free t-shirts great for wearing to classes or as sleep tees.
4. I found it useful to pack bed sheets and a couple of towels so I didn’t have to rush to buy these items on arrival as there was A LOT to purchase already. It also saves room in your suitcase for the return journey when you will no doubt be taking back some new purchases.
5. Join a club! USC has so many fun ones to offer. I chose to join the Mountaineering and Whitewater Club (MWW) which offers both day and overnight trips weekly. I went on the Grayson Highlands overnight trip and it was one of the coolest experiences I had on exchange.

   

   I highly recommend exchange at the University of South Carolina. The people are incredibly welcoming, the lifestyle is social, the campus is constantly buzzing and the school spirit is on another level. USC is perfect for anyone looking for a true American college experience.