Every USC student goes through the same rite of passage, usually somewhere in the middle of their first year: the realization that housing is not going to sort itself out. On-campus options are finite, the good ones fill fast, and at some point the search moves outward — into North University Park, down Figueroa, toward Adams-Normandie and the streets around campus where most Trojans eventually end up. It's a stressful process, mostly because it happens on a timeline nobody warns you about and involves committing serious money to a place you may have only seen in photos. Here's how to do it without panic, overpaying, or getting scammed. Start Earlier…