Croissants, Classic Cabs, Cobblestones, and the Cosmos: Mallory's Maymester Abroad

This past summer, I prepared to enter junior year at USC by taking a summer class … on another continent.

Even before freshman year, I have been interested in Maymesters. Instead of normal semester or even summer classes, USC Maymesters offer opportunities to learn by experience and exploration. By condensing one class into a jam-packed month of travel, Maymesters provide exclusive access to museums and stadiums, exposure to cultures and languages, or in my case, observatories and endless croissants

Annenberg is known for its competitive Maymesters with unmatched opportunities to visit businesses and meet executives, taking communication, journalism, and PR into the real world. However, Dornsife also offers Maymesters, for all students, which can bolster your college experience, add fun classes, or fulfill GEs. This summer, I took ASTR 100: The Universe, which satisfied my GE-E requirement (physical science).

They say, “the sky's the limit.” I tested that theory as my Maymester brought me from USC to JPL, the California Science Center to Paris, Paris to London, and back again, all while studying the sky itself.

USC

My Maymester began on campus at Taper Hall. My 20-person class was introduced to the universe and foreshadowed what was in store for the month. Models, videos, and slides demonstrated that the universe is more than rockets, planets, and stars. Light is the fastest traveler in the universe; thus everything we see outside our windows (which is not a lot in Los Angeles) is only a reflection of the light that has reached Earth. We see far away planets as they were millions and billions of years before, because that is how long the light has traveled from those galaxies to reach Earth. Our field trip to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory offered tangible insights, supporting classroom lectures, as we toured facilities, saw NASA equipment, spoke to scientists, and viewed scale replicas of rovers and spacecraft.

The California Science Center

Next stop: the Science Center, just across the street from campus. There, we deconstructed and rebuilt telescopes, made a wave machine, and learned more about how the universe serves as a means of communication throughout time and space. People and animals have forever looked up at the same sky, and although it is always changing, so much history is preserved and uncovered in the way different cultures have tracked the same celestial bodies, in their misconceptions and differing hypotheses about the phases of the moon and retrograde movement, and in the way the universe sends messages back through light. We even took a night trip to the Mount Wilson Observatory to see the night sky in action! At Annenberg, we spend a lot of time learning about communication; but the universe has been a master of nonverbal communication way before any of us entered freshman year (like, WAY before).

Paris, France

Let me begin by saying the Annenberg foreign language requirement became unexpectedly useful in my everyday life sooner than I thought. Although I am definitely not fluent in French, completing French 3 helped me enormously: I could read signs, ask directions, order at restaurants, and attempt to understand the French announcements on metros and in airports! It was also useful in class, like on a trip to the Camille Flammarian Observatory while reading from Flammarian’s French journal in his personal observatory. It was also fun exploring Paris with my classmates as we walked to Notre Dame and took a dinner cruise on the Seine, passing the Eiffel Tower at sunset (there was even a rainbow)! While class activities were engaging, I was excited that Maymesters offer free time to explore cities and landmarks on your own. Personally, I spent a day “exploring” Disneyland Paris!

London, England

After Paris, we took the Chunnel (the train under the English Channel) to London for our final stop. In England, we visited historic sites such as Stonehenge and Bath, gaining new insights on old relics through our unique vantage point of astronomy. Our London classroom was one block from the British Museum, putting us in central London. This allowed us to explore sites and ride iconic British double-decker buses. Through class, I immersed myself in different cultures and experienced different forms of communication and information, between languages and ancient relics.

Overall, I had a great time on my Maymester and would recommend it to anyone! I would especially encourage students who want to travel abroad, without committing to an entire semester or year away from campus, to jump at this opportunity!

One last tip: Before committing to a Maymester, make sure you understand the travel and housing requirements/accommodations because they vary by course. For example, I had to travel to Paris and home from London alone, arranging my own flights and travel plans. Some Maymesters involve hotels and dorms (like mine), while others house students with host families. Make sure you research each opportunity and be sure to plan ahead!

Au Revoir and Cheerio!

Applications for USC Annenberg 2025 Maymesters close October 20th at 5pm. Dornsife 2025 Maymester applications have a deadline of December 9th.