The Chaminade University of Honolulu

Date: Dec 02 2009
Major: Business - Management and Administration (This Major's Salary over time)
I came here from Wisconsin- partly for the warmth and photography opportunities and partly to get a change of scenery. While Hawai'i is a nature enthusiast's paradise, it is not, I repeat NOT, a place to go if you are looking to garner an education. The school is a joke. I knew from the first day of orientation that I had made a grave-and expensive- mistake. The faculty treat new arriving students as though it were their first time to summer bible camp, complete with group-building activites and circle name games. There are no placement exams, and I was placed in general classes that were all lower levels of classes I had already taken, some back in eighth grade! The security is nonexistent, with creepy older men going door to door in the dormitories asking girls to take nude photos and an inordinate amount of the girls' military boyfriends sleeping over on a nightly basis. While I enjoyed the clubbing in waikiki, the pristine beaches, and the stunning natural surroundings, the school itself was terribly sub-par. If you are considering going there, keep in mind what your college goals are. If you want to party and get a degree without actually learning or having a chance of getting a job in any type of competitive field, this is the place for you. If, like me, you actually want to make money and have a solid footing in your chosen career path, in addition to partying, DO NOT come here. It is a complete waste of money and time, the RAs are nosy, and the entire student body a hive of gossip and cliques. For academics I would not recommend hawaii in general, for vacation and retirement maybe, but keep in mind that it is a HUGE deal here to even graduate high school, with the thing to do here dropping out as soon as one reaches 16. You will also be solicited to try Meth, as well as be bombarded by nasty ads against the stuff, which is everywhere here- horrible, nasty, creepy drug- with the most dangerous and un-human addicts. Oahu is beautiful, Maui too, but watch out for the large amount of homeless people (some can be quite violent), crack/meth heads, and prostitutes (Try walking down Kuhio once without counting at least five during the day, far more at night). As for food, as a college student expect the 'freshman fifteen' to be LOST, not gained. I dropped down to around 100 lbs (i'm 5'4") within a month. A half-gallon of milk costs $7! fish, which one would expect to be relatively inexpensive given the locale, is astronomical, as is fruit (weird, paying $5 for a mini cup of old pineapple and grapes). If you are dead set on HI, I strongly recommend UH Manoa, for both student body and education, as well as location! If you really want to enjoy this state though, I suggest getting a degree from a school which will earn you enough money to afford the cost of living/staying here. A car is absolutely necessary, as well, since most of the island's wonders and attractions lie outside of honolulu. All in all I loved Oahu, but decided to make the right choice for my future by going back to Madison for a far better education and price, Hawaii will still be here when I have a good degree and job and can afford the cost of living here (My boyfriend and I payed $1200 for a small studio with a really awful landlady). I do not regret coming here, but if I had it to do over again I would just come, stay a while, and never set foot on CUH grounds. Do not waste your money here. They are good at making the school seem a lot nicer than it is- there is a reason less than half of the original freshman stay past a year- and the amount of students here who feel the exact same as me is striking. The general consensus among student here- whether they like it or not- is that it is incredibly, mind-numbingly elementary and easy.