The Class of 2021 spent their first morning on-campus getting a crash course on college full of pomp and circumstance.
Incoming first-year students, transfer students and their families and friends gathered for their first formal assembly, the likes of which most won't experience again until their graduation.
Dean of Students Dennis Pruitt told the Class of 2021 "today ... you start your personal odyssey to become a full-fledged Carolinian."
Administrators like Pruitt and Provost Joan Gabel touched on the long history of the University and encouraged new students to utilize all the opportunities presented to them in college.
"We are all gathered here ... on your behalf to express our collective high expectations for your college years," Pruitt said.
"This is where the workforce of tomorrow is skillfully trained and prepared for that first job, for graduate school, for that 50-year career, or to be contributors to their community," Gabel added.
Cliff Leaman, the 2017 Michael J. Mungo Distinguished Professor of the Year, offered "practical advice" on how to handle the newfound independence that comes with starting college.
"Eat well and get your sleep ... take good care of both your bodies and your brains ...," he said.
Leaman is a professor of saxophone within the School of Music. He also emphasized the importance of not being afraid to get assistance.
"Much like at Hogwarts, help will always be given at USC to those who ask for it," he said, referencing the Harry Potter series.
University President Harris Pastides did not attend this year's Convocation due to a scheduling conflict, but he did address the crowd via a video message on Colonial Life Arena's new videoboard.
"I look forward to meeting each and every one of you all over campus," he said.
In addition to hearing from campus leaders, Convocation introduces new students to many of the University's formal traditions. Attendees were led in a rendition of the alma mater, and student body president Ross Lordo presented the Carolinian Creed.
"The Carolinian Creed is our guiding light here ... it serves to remind us of our responsibilities and call us to action," he said. "Each tenet becomes a sacred promise between you and the University."
First-year management science student Kennedy Corley accepted a ceremonial copy of the Creed from Lordo on behalf of the Class of 2021. The University Mace and gonfalons, banners representing each of USC's colleges and schools, were also on display.
For those spending their very first days on a college campus, like first-year sport management student Mason McGowan, the grandeur and tradition of Wednesday's ceremony was both welcoming and exciting.
"I thought there was a nice sense of welcoming, especially with the alma mater at the end," he said. "There's a sense of anticipation, and now that I'm here I'm ready to just get into it."