Advice from USC freshman Gracie Bundschu

A peek inside college life from a recent SVHS grad.|

For as long as I can remember, the University of Southern California has been my dream school. In fact, I can still recall the very first time I visited the campus – I was 8 and the casual “drop-by” (thanks to my alumnus father) was strategically placed after a trip to Disneyland.

When I received my eighth grade “Letter to Future Self” at the end of my senior year, it came as no surprise to see that it stated my dream was to study Music Industry at USC.

Now almost 10 years since I first fell in love with the Trojan family, I’m writing this article from my dorm room at USC – and it is everything I imagined it to be and more. Here is a short recap of everything I’ve learned in my first month of college:

• Having to make friends for what feels like the first time in years (thanks, small town Sonoma) is not easy. And it’s hard not to be incredibly jealous of the kids who already know a dozen people from their high school.

However, leaving your dorm room door open and introducing yourself to the people you sit next to in class speeds the process up significantly.

• Everybody is smart. Everybody did well in high school. And this is a great thing. It forces you to think in new ways. Classroom conversations are great opportunities to hear other perspectives and challenge your own beliefs.

• Campus location definitely matters. Don’t settle for a small college town when you wanted a big city, or vice versa. I’m very glad to be in a big city, but I’m also happy that I’m a day’s drive from home.

• Not everything is going to go as planned. I had always imagined myself rushing a sorority and decking myself out in Greek letters.

However, after three days of rush, it became pretty obvious that Greek life wasn’t for me. Saying no to something I’d always thought I wanted was hard, but sticking by something my heart wasn’t fully in was worse.

• You have so much free time! At first this was overwhelming, but now I’m taking advantage of it. Getting the chance to devote my spare time to stuff I’m truly interested in is so cool.

• You’re going to doubt yourself and your passion, a lot. I’ve always been the music-obsessed friend. I now am in a world of people who speak my language and share just as much knowledge, or more, as I do about music. My professors teach classes on the assumption that you already know your stuff, so there’s no getting off easy. It’s hard not to feel out of place, but remember why you came here. Remember what made you love doing that thing in the first place.

• A roommate is a great opportunity for a friend, so try not to compromise their personal values. Also, not sharing a major or similar schedule is an advantage – I’ve met a lot of awesome people through my roommate as a result.

Though I know I have many more years ahead of me at USC, it’s hard not to think that I made the right choice. SVHS prepared me for the rigorous workload of college and I feel ready to face any situation.

And to my current high school seniors – the best advice I can give you is not to sell yourself short. Apply to that seemingly impossible “reach” school. You’ll never know unless you try.

Gracie Bundschu graduated from Sonoma Valley High in June 2016.

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