University: Hawaii Pacific University

City: Honolulu

Country: United States

Continent: North America

Field of study: English / American Studies

Study type: semester abroad

Hello dear prospective students,

I left my studies at the HPU in Honolulu a few weeks ago and now I want to let you know how I liked it. First of all, I have to say that the semester abroad was definitely worth it and I would do it again any time! Check anycountyprivateschools.com to see University of California San Diego study abroad opportunities.

Application:

I started planning about a year before the start of my studies. It’s relatively early, but I wanted to make sure everything worked out. All the documents were sent to me via MicroEdu and all I had to do was fill them out and send them back. Everything went smoothly and I received my acceptance within a few weeks. Of course you need a lot of documents, so I advise you to start with them in good time.

I flew to Hawaii with continentals and was very satisfied. I paid 900 euros for my flight because I flew from London, which is cheaper in any case. Fill out the online shuttle form at the HPU and you will be picked up from the university and taken to a hotel/hostel in Waikiki. A little tip: Check out craigslist.com. There you will find cheap accommodation in hotels. We paid 20 euros a night for our hotel which was cheaper than all hostels!

Honolulu:

Honolulu isn’t the prettiest city I’ve ever seen, but it’s a good place to live. Of course it is very expensive. eating as well as living. I would recommend you move to Waikiki. I’ve lived outside myself and I’ve regretted it quite a bit. Almost all students live in Waikiki and most of the nightlife takes place here. In addition, the bus system is not particularly well developed in the evenings to other parts of the city. Waikiki is very noisy and always packed with tourists, so try to get a room on the side streets where it may be a bit quieter. I would not recommend you to move into one of the dormitories at the university. They are pretty overpriced and you have to share a room. In addition, the rules are very strict as far as visitors etc. are concerned.
If you are looking for an apartment, I recommend craigslist.com or the HPU pipeline. You can also just walk around Waikiki and look down at the apartment buildings. Lower your expectations a bit, because most apartments are not that great. The best thing to do is to look for roommates in Germany through students etc. and then simply look for a furnished apartment here together. Most rooms in Waikiki cost around $600-800. If you’re lucky, you’ll find something cheaper. Or you share a room with someone. Lots of people do that here and it saves a lot of money.

Nightlife:

There are of course many clubs here in Waikiki, but it’s also worth going to downtown Honolulu if you want to escape the tourists. In the evenings there is always something going on here and there are many specials on certain days where you can have a lot of fun even here for little money

University:

The HPU is located downtown. So you have to take a half-hour bus ride from Waikiki, which takes so long because of the traffic. The university is located in various high-rise buildings around Fort Street Mall. Not the prettiest neighborhood in Honolulu.
Studying was much easier than in Germany, because you get exam questions beforehand, for example, or there are take-home exams. However, there is a lot of homework, projects and presentations. So you’re pretty busy during the semester. The professors and lecturers were all very, very friendly and really ok. There is a very personal contact and they were always available. The classes are small, about 20 people. The university is well equipped, but it’s always super cold, so take a jacket with you for the lectures.
I could choose 6 courses with my visa. I took 4 courses, which I get credit for here in Germany, and 2 just like that. The university has a lot of sports and fitness courses and if I were you I would do some of those too, just for fun.

Summary:

Overall I had a great time here. The weather is always nice, Hawaii has a lot to offer and there is never a dull moment. The other islands are absolutely worth seeing and I’ve seen the most breathtaking things here.
The only negative thing I can say is that the Americans are a bit difficult to get to know. They’re super nice and everything but be prepared to hang out mostly with Germans (of which there are quite a few!). In addition, the tourists and the volume get on your nerves after a while.
But otherwise I can only warmly recommend a study visit here in Hawaii.
Have fun!