The University of Hawaii Manoa

Date: Jun 19 2008
Major: History/Histories (art history/etc.) (This Major's Salary over time)
Ive seen a lot of mixed reviews about the UH campus. In my experience it has been a fantastic school. I believe the university will be useful to you as a student depending what your major is. I am an Asian History major who plans to go to Law School. UH is one of the top rated schools with regards to Asian studies, language and/or focus. They also have a great marine biology, Architect, and MLS program. Their law school isnt bad either, especially if you have an interest in Island politics/law. Remember now, Hawaii is an island and their way of life is completely different from the mainland. Even their politics is different: and that can be aggravating. Im not originally from Hawaii; I came from Michigan and a great University (UofM). However I prefer Hawaii as the campus is more friendly and small. This has worked to my advantage as I have networked with some powerful Hawaiian leaders and professionals and dont have to worry about the cutthroat competition at school. However, some students do have a bad experience here. Thats mostly because they dont take the school seriously and treat it like a vacation. Also, the buildings need a lot of work, the equipment is outdated and the faculty can be difficult to work with at times. But most of the professors are great; a lot of them come from Harvard, Brown, Cornell, Oxford, Smith and so on. Hawaiis tuition is incredibly cheap because of an act that was passed to make the University accessible to Native Hawaiians and as a result the tuition cannot be raised. If you want to learn about different cultures UH is great because the student body is mostly international. The grounds can be friendly, but you have to put in the effort to communicate. Many locals accept the fact a lot of transfer students are just passing through and as a result may not seem sociable. So, to determine whether or not UH is right for u determines on what kind of person you are. Island life is more laid back and multiculture. If you can't respect this then you're going to have a hard and frustrating time here. Its different from its mainland counterparts and is run differently. You either love it here or hate it.