<p>Hehe, I used to get anxious about rankings and how we should be included on the top college list, etc. etc.</p>
<p>Then I came to school here last year. My roommate and one of my closest friends is an architect, another close friend an engineer, I know a good amount of the freshmen BFA kids, a few in Thornton, alot of film students and a ton of pure science/premed students, I’m an IR major. I probably have it the easiest of all my friends being in the college, at least right now, yet my first IR class was with Lamy, a man whose not only worked in DC with high ranking government officials, but is a lead contributor in the field of IR Foreign Policy traditions and analysis. I’m no architect but from the all nighters and the amount of time my roommate and some of our arch friends put in, I know they aren’t getting any easy work, and if I were to say that about my engineer friend I’d just be a damn liar. My film school friends have learned from real directors and screenwriters, my friend who plays guitar is taking lessons on campus from some famous spanish guitar player.</p>
<p>I have no doubt in my mind after being here that our ranking is undoubtedly deserved, and so now I can laugh at threads like the USC ranking rigging and us not being in the top picks.</p>
<p>You know what can’t be laughed at? The diversity that presents each Trojan a new experience with a person from outside of their traditional world every day, or the ability to walk into a job and already have a hook just because you are a Trojan. The myriad of professors ranging from former CIA agents in the IR department to world class Physicist in the Engineering departments are also nothing to laugh at, because even with the “adjusted” number to the NAE we still have more than most universities period. </p>
<p>I find it funny that people who don’t attend USC so vehemently hate against it. The athletic schools hate us for our football team, the intellectual schools have somehow determined that our student body isn’t as qualified as we scoop up more talent and consistently get job offers based on a strong network found only at our school. </p>
<p>It would get me mad like I’m sure it’s got some people, but then I wake up and realize…damn it feels good to be a Trojan ;).</p>