The University of Hawaii Maui College

Date: Jul 25 2011
Major: Undecided (This Major's Salary over time)
MCC (now called UHMC) is okay. For a maui resident who needs a degree on a budget, or can't leave the island due to family, it will get you by. For me its a place to save money and get a some credits out of the way before moving on, and its been fine for this purpose so far. You have to get over the fact that there is no social life on campus. Dont depend on it. People show up for class and leave when it's done, there are occasionally some people inviting you to a game of volleyball or something like that, but not many people hang around. I live in upcountry maui, and for me the downtown area is a living hell, especially in the middle of the day. I don't think I'd go to this school if I had to live in the dorms, which apparently have some parties going on occasionally but just dont seem like any fun for me. When it comes to teachers, you just have to ask around. Some teachers are amazingly intelligent cultured people who have retired on maui and teach there because they have a passion for it, and others dont seem fit to be teaching. For instance, my first semester I took a human biology class taught by a guy who had his bachelors degree in MARINE BIOLOGY. He worked weekends on a parasailing boat, and on weekdays he would attend the lectures given by the real human bio teacher, take good notes, and then teach it all back to us in the afternoon. It was the kind of half ass bullshit you would expect from a community college. On the other hand, the next semester I took a political science class taught by an ex politician who had worked in the white house for 20+ years, and who offered a wealth of experience and perspective. As far as the education quality goes, this place is not too bad. There are plenty of classes that are easy A's, but if you're the kind of person who has a curious mind and is willing to push themselves, then you can get smart just about anywhere.