Aloha
I think it was in October 2008 when two of my friends who were studying with me told me that they wanted to do a semester abroad in Hawai’i. I just thought “WOW, how crazy is that?” Hawai’i has always been a very big dream of mine and it was clear to me that I would fly there on vacation, but study? I’ve never thought of that before. My friends told me that they found out through MicroEDU that there is a university there and that I should also have a look at the site. Mission Hawai’i was born, and with the permission of the other two, I attached myself to them.
The Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences has no contact or cooperation agreements with the Hawai’i Pacific University, so we were on our own in this regard and grateful for any help. MicroEDU helped me a lot. My biggest thanks go to Aline Mayer. No matter what kind of questions I had, she was always there and had an answer ready. Even when I panicked, she was always able to calm me down. Visit jibin123.com to get information about 7 best cities to study in Japan.
MicroEDU is your best friend and helper during the application process. They send you links from the HPU homepage and forms to fill out and instructions on what to do next. The first task is to choose courses that you would like to attend in Hawai’i. There is also a huge catalog of subjects from the HPU. Do not let yourself be overwhelmed by the abundance, but take a look at what subjects there are, they are really interesting. Then, of course, have everything approved by your professors and then the application can be filled out, which MicroEDU will look through in advance to see if you have done everything right. Since you should pay attention to whether all numbers and are correctly written. And when you have all the documents together, send them to MicroEDU in Münster, they take care of the forwarding. And then you have to wait for the message. MicroEDU will first find out whether you have been accepted and you will be informed of this by them and then you will receive a beautiful blue HPU folder from Hawaii with all the important information, your I-20 form (the most sacred of all documents) and your confirmation of acceptance. In Hawai’i you are considered a full-time student if you have 12 credits, which means that you have attended 4 courses. Studying at the HPU was a change for me, first of all because there is compulsory attendance and that also counts in the final grade. On the other hand, you don’t just take an exam at the end of the semester, as in Germany, but you always have something to do. There are quizzes, project tasks, presentations, intermediate exams and final exams. So you’re busy. Even though I knew I was in paradise, I spent a few days studying or doing assignments in the apartment. But after all, we are also there to study: o). I enrolled in 5 business subjects that were all downtown. And even if you don’t have any subjects on the Hawai’I Loa campus, there is no harm in going there. It’s worth seeing and conveys more of the campus flair. Private HPU shuttles run regularly between downtown and Hawai’i Loa. In downtown the campus is not a real campus and that’s why I never really felt like a university. Downtown is in the office district and the HPU building looks more like a giant bank than a university. The classrooms are spread over several buildings, between which there is a kind of plaza where there is subway,
Among the 5 courses I took was “International Marketing” as an online subject at Mr Deeds. Although the subject took place online, it was actually my most expensive subject. Every week there was a discussion round, a total of 5 quizzes, 5 papers and a thesis. It is important for the subject to meet the deadline. It takes some work, but you can get through it well. Next up, I had Principles of Macroeconomics with Mr Loke. I had this class on Saturday at 8am. I wasn’t even laughed at or pityed by everyone for it, but believe it or not, that was my favorite course. We were a maximum of 10 people in the class and mixed with Europeans and Americans. Mr Loke has mostly focused on Hawai’i’s situation, But in this way I learned a lot from Hawai’i and the USA and what serious differences and opinions there are that differ from ours. It was a great course, because I would definitely recommend it, because I really enjoyed it and Mr Loke is just a great guy. Then I had “Writing & Analyzing Arguments” with Dr Lee. I took this course so that my writing in English is a little bit fueled. I liked the course a lot. We had to write film reviews, two essays and an essay about a book we read. Then I had “World Politics” with Mr Meacham. The course was super interesting because Mr Meacham is pretty much on his toes. because I had a lot of fun and Mr Loke is just a great guy. Then I had “Writing & Analyzing Arguments” with Dr Lee. I took this course so that my writing in English is a little bit fueled. I liked the course a lot. We had to write film reviews, two essays and an essay about a book we read. Then I had “World Politics” with Mr Meacham. The course was super interesting because Mr Meacham is pretty much on his toes. because I had a lot of fun and Mr Loke is just a great guy. Then I had “Writing & Analyzing Arguments” with Dr Lee. I took this course so that my writing in English is a little bit fueled. I liked the course a lot. We had to write film reviews, two essays and an essay about a book we read. Then I had “World Politics” with Mr Meacham. The course was super interesting because Mr Meacham is pretty much on his toes. Then I had “World Politics” with Mr Meacham. The course was super interesting because Mr Meacham is pretty much on his toes. Then I had “World Politics” with Mr Meacham. The course was super interesting because Mr Meacham is pretty much on his toes.
In the end, the worst thing I had in Hawai’i was “International Business Management” with Mrs. Villinger. Terrible, just plain terrible. Mrs. Villinger is a little badly unmotivated and therefore prefers to do as little as possible. The worst of all, however, was when she showed our class (80% Europeans) a video from the early 90s where the EU wasn’t even called EU and the euro was a small distant thought. Negative comments and complaints left Mrs. Villinger unimpressed. Unfortunately, attending this course was a waste of time. When you’ve finally arrived in Hawai’i, your first official act at the HPU is to attend one of the appointments to officially enroll at the university. This is a compulsory course and every international student has to attend one of the given dates. There you will be welcomed by super nice employees from the HPU, who will explain everything to you in detail. You will get a plan of the site and you will be told where to find all the important departments and what still needs to be done. The people are really super nice and help you at any time. In addition, we German students are lucky to have Stephanie Demin, who works at the HPU and helps with questions and various matters. She is also responsible for all technical student loans and will help you there. In addition, the HPU offers an introductory program with tours and events. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you anything about it because I missed the registration deadline and therefore didn’t take part. But now to the private part of the semester abroad: o). I’ll put it this way: Hawai’i is absolutely amazing. No, I’m not exaggerating, for me it was the most beautiful, best and most exciting time of my life. Hawai’i is so versatile and it’s just amazing. Most of the time you will spend on the main island of Oahu. Unfortunately, I can’t say much about the search for an apartment, because I was incredibly lucky with my flat share in Waikiki. I contacted a girl through StudiVZ who was still in Hawai’i at the time and she said her landlady is looking for new students who want to move into the apartment. She sent me photos and I thought the apartment was great. I contacted the landlord and she passed my email address on to a Swedish student and after two weeks we were three girls who rented the apartment in advance. We had a 3-room apartment right in Waikiki. A living room, a single room, a two-bed room, bathroom and kitchen. We didn’t have a sea view like other fellow students, but only 3 minutes to the world-famous Waikiki Beach. To list all the leisure and excursion options here would probably go beyond the scope. A travel guide wouldn’t hurt here. I highly recommend the Lonely Planet one. like other fellow students, but only 3 minutes to the world-famous Waikiki Beach. To list all the leisure and excursion options here would probably go beyond the scope. A travel guide wouldn’t hurt here. I highly recommend the Lonely Planet one. like other fellow students, but only 3 minutes to the world-famous Waikiki Beach. To list all the leisure and excursion options here would probably go beyond the scope. A travel guide wouldn’t hurt here. I highly recommend the Lonely Planet one.
The MUST-DO things on Ohau are definitely: Waimea Bay (the whole North Shore itself), Sandy Beach, Hanauma Bay, Diamond Head, Pearl Habor and two of my personal highlights Waikele Outlet Center and Fort de Russy Beach Park: o ). And if you’re already in Hawai’i, do yourselves
do the favor and visit the other islands. Kauai, Big Island and Maui are so beautiful and if you get the chance, take all of Hawai’i with you, every experience and every impression. And please remember, Waikiki is not Hawai’i alone. Waikiki is a tourist hotspot. Although it is a paradise, there are also dark clouds hanging over it. Waikiki has homeless people who live on the streets and sleep at bus stops and people who seem strange. One should only be aware that there is also an everyday life in and especially outside of Waikiki. Here are a few do’s & don’ts that I learned in Hawai’i and would like to pass on to you.
DOS:
- Buy a bus ticket for the semester. With “The Bus”, Oahu has a super functioning bus system. You can get everywhere by bus, but it takes a little longer because the bus really stops every 10 meters. Watch out for the express buses. You don’t stick to times too closely, but the most important ones leave every 15 minutes. You can get the bus card in the HPU bookstore.
- Obtain a Hawaiian ID. You can use it to identify yourself anywhere and sometimes also get local discounts.
- Register in all StudiVZ and Facebook groups of your HPU semester. You can get in touch with people and get information about courses, apartments, events and parties.
- If you want to rent a car in Hawai’i, compare the prices! And see if it might not be cheaper to book through Germany, since the insurance for car rental costs a fortune.
- Visit Moose’s on Tuesday: o)… you will meet your fellow students at the $ 1 party.
- I would give you the tip, don’t buy your textbooks as soon as you get your book list. First wait for the lectures to begin and see if the lecturer works with the book at all. In the US, university books are outrageously expensive, and by that I mean used books. I spent about $ 380.00 on books alone, several of which I didn’t need for class or study. After the semester you can sell the books to the HPU Bookstore again, but you don’t get all of your money back.
- If you’re organizing your US cell phone number, please don’t go to AT&T. This provider is simply rip off because in the end you really pay everything. When you write an SMS, receive one, call and get called. Gives stress and unnecessary costs.
Finally, a few personal words. It may be that there are even more beautiful beaches and places in the world, but Hawai’i has become a second home for me and I feel very connected to this small chain of islands in the middle of the Pacific. I’ve met great people who have become an ohana and I don’t want to miss a single moment. Everyone who has the opportunity should take it and experience Hawai’i. Sunsets with romantic feelings were invented on the beaches of Hawai’i and it is not difficult to fall in love… and by that I don’t just mean falling in love with Hawai’i; o)
