USC · WRIT 340 - Advanced Writing · Minh Dau
Public Article Project
I was genuinely blank when starting to do this project, not knowing what I should write about. I decided to ask Claude this question: “You are a college student, nearly graduating, if somebody asks you about 5 things in your head right now? What would it be?” And they answered: “1. Seniority is real…2. Money Stress…3. Job Applications…4. The friendship is changing…5. Nothing.” Yes, they are very expected, and some of them may sound overlapping too. So I may switch some of the topics to maintain the uniqueness of each topic.
Disclaimer: These writings are from my own experience. No harm or violation was intended in the writing process.
Five essays
- Part 1
Seniority
Final-year feelings—from rewards and anxiety to credibility with younger students and the myth that college is always the best time of your life.
Read → - Part 2
Passion and Job Apps
From tutoring and family expectations to analytics, portfolios, rejection—and choosing to rebuild.
Read → - Part 3
Clubs / the friendship changing
High school bonds in Vietnam versus college in the U.S.—surface-level chat, different standards, money, and learning to keep boundaries.
Read → - Part 4
Health
Prioritizing the body—freshman nerves, the gym, discipline, taekwondo at USC, and why movement beats obsession with appearance alone.
Read → - Part 5
Acceptance
What moving to the U.S. for college taught me about effort, comparison, parents, and forgiving others—and myself.
Read →