MAY 2025

A Fabulous Finish!

Our third annual Freshman Finale on Thursday, April 17 brought together freshmen, advisors, staff and faculty from across Dornsife to celebrate the completion of your first year of college! There was free food, music, and lots of giveaways!

Lucky students scored coveted raffle prizes! Congratulations to Celeste Valadez on her new Apple iPad, Charlotte Dixon on her tuneful JBL speaker, and Sophia Odunsi on her two tickets to Disneyland.

We also voted on our next Dornsife freshman T-shirt design.

Congratulations to designer Jada Leung on their winning creation!

This will be featured on T-shirts for the incoming Dornsife Class of 2029!

Thanks to everyone who joined us on this fun-filled day!

Rising Sophomore Reminders

From all of us on the First-Year Advising team, congratulations on reaching the freshman finish line! Here's a message from First-Year Advising Director Dr. Viannda Hawkins:

Next up you'll be moving to your major program for academic advising support. Below are some tips to help with this transition.

FRIDAY,
MAY 9

Congratulations & Next Steps
Review your First-Year Advisor's fond farewell email and their advice for what comes next.

BEGINNING
TUESDAY, MAY 13

Welcome from Your Department Advisor!
Read your welcome email from your new major advisor with details on how to connect with them.

For more tips, view our transition handout below!

First-Year Feedback

Kudos on completing your first college year! We hope your time in First-Year Advising played a part in achieving this milestone. Now we need your help to improve our support for future freshmen. Please share your feedback by clicking the button below.

End-of-Year Survey

Thanks for helping us out! And we look forward to seeing what you accomplish next.

Get Ahead with General Education!

Looking to advance your learning? Want to complete more degree requirements? Consider a summer General Education class at USC!

Summer can be the perfect time for a G.E. class because

There are fewer distractions
More attention from professors
And some courses are taught online!

Click below to check out G.E. offerings then consult your academic advisor about options!

Study Tips for Finals Success

Final exams are Wednesday, May 7 through Wednesday, May 14. Here are some pointers to help you prepare!

And check out these additional resources below:

Kortschak Center for Learning & Creativity has downloadable tools, recorded tutorials, and live events. Try their Flourishing Through Finals online workshop!
USC Libraries details 5 and 10-minute Anytime Activities students can do to maintain energy, calm, and focus during marathon study sessions.
Trojans360, USC's official student blog, offers advice from current and past students on how to survive and thrive through final exams.

Helpful Hints for Year-End Move-Out

As you gear up to move out, try these tips:

Donate unwanted items. Look out for donation bins in and around your residence hall.
Rescue your bike from the racks to avoid impounding.
Need storage? USC doesn't offer space on campus, but private storage companies do for a fee.
Cancel subscription and delivery services that you no longer need.
Changing addresses? Update your location, if needed, with the U.S. Postal Service and DMV.
Want more tips? Click here for advice from the Department of Public Safety and view the the USC Housing Guide below.

Looking Back & Looking Forward

As freshman year comes to a close, take some time and reflect on all that you experienced and accomplished. Then see below for some reflections previous first-year students shared with us. Which ones resonate with you?

Click for quotes about what past freshmen would do differently

Click for quotes from past freshmen about one thing they wish they knew before starting their first college year

Click for quotes from past freshmen about how they built their community or support system on campus

As you prepare for next year, consider additional questions like

What did you enjoy most this freshman year?
What worked this year that you want to repeat in the future?
What new things would you like to try?

Advisor Shoutout

Have a positive experience in First-Year Advising? Did you enjoy exploring a topic or finding the support you needed?

Complete the form linked below to send your First-Year Advisor a shoutout. They would love to hear from you!

Share Here

FRIDAY, MAY 2
Spring semester classes end

MAY 3-6
Study days

MAY 7-14
Final examinations

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22
Last day to register for a Session 001 course without a late fee

MONDAY, AUGUST 25
Fall semester classes begin

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
Last day to register and add Session 001 classes

FYA is Here for You!

Need a helping hand? Want to stay in the loop? Connect with us at @uscdornsifeadv, Advise USC, or fya@dornsife.usc.edu.

DORNSIFE FIRST-YEAR ADVISING (FYA) provides academic advising for entering freshman students in most Dornsife majors.

EMAIL fya@dornsife.usc.edu | PHONE (213) 740-2534 | OFFICE GFS 320 | WEB dornsife.usc.edu/advising/first-year-advising2

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