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FactsSlang
- BA Building - The Business Administration building or Hipp-Close building.
- Blackboard - An online tool that students and teachers use for assignments and discussions on class topics.
- Five Points - An area of Columbia where many students go to find a drink or a good place to eat; you can get there from campus by heading down Green Street.
- Gibbes - Gibbes Court Cafeteria
- The Gimp - Short for Grand Market Place (GMP); the cafeteria on the first floor of the Russell House.
- The Horseshoe - USC’s central lawn on campus.
- The Quads - South Quad and East Quad are upper-class, apartment-style dorms.
- RHD - Residence Hall Director.
- RuHo - Russell House University Union
- SG - Student Government
- SLED - South Carolina Law Enforcement Department
- The Strom - Strom Thurmond Fitness and Wellness Center on Assembly Street
- USCPD - University of South Carolina Police Department.
- VIP - Visual Information Processing; Web site where students can pay tuition, register for classes, look at their transcript.
- The Vista - A strip of restaurants and bars on Gervais Street.
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
- Although you are allowed to have a car freshman year, you don't really need one for the essentials, like food, pharmacy, entertainment, etc.
- Avoid crowds at the bookstore, and don’t wait until the last minute to buy your books.
- Buy a reserved garage space.
- Despite being warm for most of the year, temperatures can drop to around freezing for a few months, so bring warm clothes and shoes other than sandals.
- Don’t blend in! At such a big campus, you can get lost in the crowd. Make sure your professors, advisors, and RAs know who you are.
- Don't wait until the last minute to buy your books.
- Get involved in some organization because it’s a great way to make friends.
- It’s normal for freshmen to be undecided about their majors, so don’t stress about it.
- Use the UCHOOSE online system to find a roommate.
Tips to Succeed
- A lot of your exams will fall on the same week, especially at the beginning of the semester, so do not procrastinate with readings and homework.
- Be prepared before going for advisement because the advisors don’t always know what they’re talking about.
- Be proactive when applying for internships and scholarships.
- Get to know your professors.
- Go to class and actually pay attention.
- Plan ahead by researching and applying for scholarships and internships as soon as possible—talk to counselors in the Career Center.
- Research professors before registering for class.
- You are the main key to your success; assert yourself and don't be a faceless student in the University community.
Urban Legends
- Longstreet Theatre -- The center for USC’s theater and dance department is said to be the most haunted building on campus. Serving as both a hospital and a morgue during the Civil War, students have reported uneasy feelings while wandering the building at night. Longstreet is often featured on news reports that examine Columbia’s “most haunted” around Halloween.
- The Third Eye Man -- This is a popular ghost story at USC, relating to the "catacombs" of the University and its fabled tricloptic resident. The story started in the 1940’s, when students reported seeing a man garbed in silver and equipped with an extra eye engrained in his forehead before here disappeared in USC’s underground tunnels. Though no reports have happened recently, his tale still lives, and the university punishes any students who wander down into the “catacombs” with expulsion.
Traditions
- First Night Carolina - The night after moving in, don’t be surprised if you see hundreds of students bunched in front of the Russell House and shuttle buses lined up for blocks down Green Street. This is part of First Night Carolina, an opportunity for freshmen to get to know each other, and a way for USC to welcome them to the college. Students are transported by shuttle bus to a secret location where a special program awaits them, which usually involves free food and loud music. It is a great way for students to get involved on their first night away from home, and also gives them a chance to meet new people.
- Sorority Bid Day - Every fall when the sororities at USC offer membership to those who rushed is a celebration. Occurring on the Horseshoe, each sorority and its members take up a spot on the grass, while the girls hoping for a bid gather in front of the McKissick Museum. These hopefuls are handed a letter, telling them into which sorority they have been accepted. They then run down the Horseshoe’s length amidst hundreds of screaming girls and other onlookers to their respective "sisters."
- Tiger Burn - The week before the big Clemson/USC football game, the University holds a variety of activities to get the students excited about the huge rivalry. One of these events is the Tiger Burn pep rally where the cheerleaders, pep band, and students come out to get pumped up about the big game. It is during this time of the year that school spirit is at its greatest. Even though all students may not be able to get tickets to the game itself, it gives them even more incentive to come to Tiger Burn and revel in the prospect of smoking the Clemson Tigers.
- Top of Carolina - On Sunday mornings, the rotating restaurant on top of Capstone opens for a Sunday brunch. The brunch features an all-you-can-eat buffet, including a belgian waffle station, omelet station, a hot buffet line, and other items to choose from. Just as impressive is the amazing view of downtown Columbia from the top of an 18-story building. Reservations are available from 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and can be made by calling (803) 777-0848.
School Spirit
Students at USC are teeming with school spirit, especially during football season. USC T-shirts, shorts, bumper stickers, and caps are seen all around the city of Columbia, as both students and alumni display their pride at being a member of the USC community. There are many reasons that students love USC, but sports are the main reason that they display such pride. You will never see students come together the way they do before a big football game here at USC.
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