Semester 1

As the final days of the semester count down I begin to prepare for my future. Studying all day long and all night for finals that seem will never come but when they do I will still feel under prepared. After the finals I get to move on and enjoy break, being home, real food, and family and friends. My first semester at college has been very great and eye opening, I hope the rest are even better. My best friend, who goes to Charleston now, is moving into my building next semester so I'm sure everything will be great. I'm excited to keep going and see where life takes me here at USC...Go gamecocks

Cultural / Environmental Differences

Since coming to USC my environment has changed significantly. I am submerged in the heart of Columbia, a fast-paced urban dwelling location about an hour and a half south of my home. The population difference is dramatic, and that increases the amount of diversity in culture and influences I am exposed too. My home is isolated on a dirt road and my backyard is a lake. Here I have my own room like at home, but I live with three other students in an apartment complex on-campus. The Blatt and Strom fields are a nice change of pace from the city landscape though, and with almost everything I need within walking distance but a few necessities, the centralization of Columbia is a big plus compared to home. Overall, I couldn't live here forever, but for the next four years I will enjoy it.

New Healthy Me

To change my habits, and benefit my health, I have decided to start working out again to improve my physical, mental, and social well being. I have also decided to eat less from the upstairs Russell house and plan on finding better alternatives that will nurture my body and give it the nutrients it needs to thrive off of instead of harming it with more and more high fructose corn syrup and other damaging ingredients.

2nd Blog Post

Since the start of college I feel like I've matured a lot. I've been through a lot of situations that I made mistakes in and had the chance to learn from them. The experience that enriched my journey at USC didn't really go the way I wanted it too. I forgot to pay attention to VIP and pay my tuition fees and as a result the university dropped me from my classes and froze my carolina card until I fixed the problem. The whole process of having to go to the Bursar's, Registrar's, and Carolina Card's offices helped me to learn my way around campus and what to do if I need any help. I now know where to go, who to go to, and how to set myself up for success at the University of South Carolina... to a certain extent.