#gurasees bajaj

[uscdornsifeadmission]

Click through the gallery above to see what items the Dornsife Ambassadors recommend bringing with you on move-in day at USC.

And here’s other suggestions from the Ambassadors:

John M: Brita Pitcher - Stay hydrated with water that tastes good.

Sarah F: Drying Rack - In case you didn’t know, some clothes shouldn’t go in the dryer. Or maybe not quite everything’s dry but you ran out of quarters.

Abby: Essential Oil Diffuser - Not that your room will smell BAD, but why not make it smell nice?

Austin: Fan - Some rooms don’t have AC, so you’ll need this at least in the beginning of the fall.

Tommy: Hammock - Not just for camping trips; you can find spots on campus to set it up and relax.

Alejandra: Mattress Foam Topper - Make your bed (more comfortable).

Marlaina: Succulents - Pretty and hard to kill.

Jada: Thank You Cards - It’s nice to have a supply of these so you don’t have to go to the bookstore every time you want to say thanks.

Sarah Z: Electric Water Kettle - For tea or ramen.

[uscdornsifeadmission]

The Vermont Ave Elementary Experience - Gurasees Bajaj

One of the best parts of USC is the multitude of opportunities available to you on campus. The most enjoyable activity I took part of in between classes this semester was Imagining America. Housed in the Center for Diversity and Democracy, IA is a volunteer organization that focuses on using art as a medium for educating elementary school children about community values and healthy living. 

This semester, our cohort of students were assigned to classrooms of second graders at the Vermont Ave Elementary School right next to campus. Once or twice a week, we had the opportunity to lead fun arts and crafts activities with the students that focused on teaching them how they themselves could influence their communities for the better. My workshop co-leader Mihir and I had a blast teaching them how to paint, dancing and singing with them, and even playing games with them. 

 While definitely demanding, I found the workshops a great outlet for me to relieve the stress from school during the week. The kids are intelligent and lively, and it’s quite fulfilling to know that you are having a positive effect on these kids. When thinking about what you may want to do at USC, don’t get overwhelmed by the insane abundance of activities you can take part in. Rather, try to find something that you truly love doing and can supplement you and your classes well. That way you don’t feel weighed down with all the things that the ambitious USC student that you are is doing on campus; rather, you look forward to your week! Good luck on your extracurricular activity search! 

P.S. Pro Tip #1: When going through web registration and selecting your courses for the next semester, download the USC Schedule Helper Tool. It is available from the Chrome Web Store as an extension, and it will truly make your life a lot easier by showing you things like class conflicts, or notifying you when space in class you really wanted opens up. Fight on! 

[uscdornsifeadmission]

Degrees Of Change - Gurasees Bajaj

Hi there! My name is Gurasees Bajaj, but everyone affectionately calls me “G” for short. I am a Health and Human Sciences Major on the Pre-Health track, and I hail from the Windy City of Chicago.

I never thought that I’d be going to school thousands of miles away from home, but my first semester was nothing short of amazing. I fell in love with USC when I visited in the spring, and after my brief interaction with the inspiring students and faculty, I knew this was the place to be. I always imagined the transition from home to college life would be a tough one with having to deal with new academic pressures, discovering yourself in a sea of undergraduates, and even deciding which city has the better sports teams. However, after stepping foot on campus, I was greeted with an immensely supportive community of scholars who have made living and learning here so stimulating and enjoyable.

Outside of class, I am a proud member of Dornsife Ambassadors where I hope to be able to guide and educate prospective students of the variety of wonderful opportunities and resources available to them as part of the Dornsife experience. I also enjoy leading arts and crafts workshops with second graders to teach them positive community values, writing for the Trojan Health Connection newspaper, and receiving mentorship from APASS as part of the PEER program.

If you love food and fun as much as I do, Los Angeles is the dream city to be in. With places like Santa Monica, DTLA, and Koreatown being only a short Metro or Lyft ride away, there is so much to do and explore if you somehow manage to exhaust the list of all the on-campus events available for you to take part in.

I think a word that truly encapsulates the experience of being here at USC as a Dornsife student is “exploration”. What I like the most about USC is the freedom to be able to pursue the things that interest and motivate me the most while having a like-minded community right alongside to support me. My biggest advice to any new student would be to harbor the spirit of Dora the Explorer within you and embark on your quest to find what fascinates you or fulfills your passions. Just don’t get lost­­­––I’ve heard that Google Maps is very helpful for that.

[uscdornsifeadmission]

Greetings! My name is Gurasees Bajaj but I go by “G” for short & coolness 😎. I an a sophomore double majoring in Health and Human Sciences and Gender Studies on the Pre-Health track. I am from the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois and I love exploring my wonderful surroundings through my travels and taste buds.

As much as I love good food, I love Dornsife because I truly enjoy interacting unique identities, interests, and ideas that make up the College. Through Dornsife’s interdisciplinary nature, I can explore my passion for the health sciences as well as my interests in leadership and education both inside and outside the classroom. Dornsife has always supported my diverse interests through funding for my research work and future study abroad plans, unique offering of classes, and its wide breath of experiential learning and volunteering programs. I’ve truly enjoyed exploring  just a small amount of everything Dornsife has to offer in just my first year here!

Photo 2: Through the Office for Diversity & Strategic Initiatives, I mentored a class of second graders at a nearby elementary school. Every week we worked on art-based projects that helped broaden their understanding of the different communities they are a part of & the way they can take care of it.

Photo 3: As part of the experiential learning component of my majors, I have been interning at RSVP (Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention & Services) this semester. My work involves outreach events, facilitate consent & intervention workshops, & develop curriculum for a male-identified peer outreach program that is brand new to USC.

Photo 4: Through the Prison Education Project, I helped co-teach a creative writing seminar at a men’s prison facility in Chino alongside USC writing faculty. The project culminated in this amazing anthology of their writings! This experience will soon be offered as an for-credit course through Dornsife.

Photo 5: I work & do research at a Stem Cell lab on USC’s Health Sciences campus. The project I’m working on involves using new technologies in single-cell sequencing to analyze mouse kidney cells at the cellular level.

Photo 6: On Friday nights, I love volunteering at Share a Meal with my friends! We roll burritos 🌯 in our food truck & travel the streets of DTLA handing them out to people experiencing homelessness along with water, hygiene kits, & other essentials.