My son will be attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the fall. I am looking for any thoughts or advice.
Random thoughts from UHM alumna (long time ago)…
Try to understand the culture. Locals will love you if you really want to know their history and culture. Don’t just stick with other kids from the mainland. Mingle with locals!! Is your son caucasian? If so, he will be the minority. He should be mentally prepared for it. Also, be prepared not be able to understand what the locals are saying sometimes. Local accent and idioms are quite different. It is really laid back and nice so it’s easy to get lazy and fall behind. No need to bring suites and ties, but get one nice aloha shirt for the formal occasion. Well, he will be in the paradise for four years. I hope he will enjoy!
Is this the son studying for a second bachelor’s degree in physics after completing a bachelor’s degree in Romance languages?
Yes, he is studying for a second bachelor’s degree in physics after completing a bachelor’s in Romance languages. How did you know?
Also, my son is half caucasian and half of chinese decent. He is looking forward to the ethnic diversity of UH.
As for the laid back atmosphere, I think that will be a shock as he is coming from NYC.
Your other threads and posts can be viewed; they indicate that you have a son who has completed a bachelor’s degree in Romance languages and was applying to schools for a second bachelor’s degree in physics.
One thing that Honolulu has that he may find useful is a useful bus system, despite the apparent suburban density that is usually associated with bus systems of low utility.
Thanks for the tip.
When I was at UH, there were no bus schedules. You just sit at the bus stop and wait for the next one. I hope things are better now. I went around many places with my moped.
OMG, he is from NYC??? Wow, he should slow down his walk, his speech, and his life style!!
A moped may be a good idea because he is likely to live off campus. Interesting.
http://www.thebus.org/ describes the buses and their schedules.
Thanks. ucbalumnus
Any UH students or alumns out there? Honolulu residents?
Niece works for HPU. She lives near the harbor and does not have a car. She uses the bus all the time for transportation.
OP, Can you make your question more specific?
How is the crime rate? I hear conflicting information.
What is the best way to find off campus housing?
Are there recommended areas to live around campus?
Any advice on registering for classes?
Any advice on what a student should bring/need? My son is thinking of just bringing a suitcase or two.
Thanks in advance for any information.
Real violent crime (guns) is relatively low compared to similar sized cities. That said, using common sense is the best advice, and being that your son is half-chinese he will easily blend-in.
Housing can be found via craigslist, and I don’t think registration for his specific major will be a problem. Two suitcases will be fine. A lot of shorts and tshirts is the norm–certainly beachwear and activewear as well.
Ahh, what a relief. My son has been living and working in NYC for years so, when I read some stories about crime on campus and in the area I figured he would be okay.
Craigslist - check
beachwear, active wear - check
I greatly appreciate the info.
No worries…I would say actual crime is much more an issue in NYC, and I know, we live in Morningside Heights.
I found an off campus housing and roommate on the school bulletin board. I forgot which building… campus center?? I ended up sharing a 2-bedroom apartment two or three blocks south of campus.
https://manoa.hawaii.edu/housing/offcampus
Oh, yeah, two suitcases are plenty. I brought just one big suitcase and I am a woman.
Yes, if he is half-chinese, he can blend in well. My white roommate complained about the racial prejudice/harassment and my white husband got beaten up when he was in middle school because of his race and size. But things were very different back then.
I never had any problem with crimes during my five wonderful years in Hawaii. I think downtown Honolulu is pretty sketchy, but as a student, you rarely go there.