University of Hawaii at Manoa Top Questions

My advice is to have some sort of idea of what you want to accomplish during your years at a university and where you want to go with what you learn. If you are worried that your family cannot afford tuition at a school that your heart is set on, don't be afraid to take the leap and go for it. I have personally known many students, that from the time of the start of their freshman year, they got loans, scholarships, financial aid, etc., as well as worked one or more jobs in order to support their dream here in Hawaii. Research the professors at the universities you are contemplating attending, as well as any activies you may want to participate it. Make sure that you have options at your school so that you do not end up sitting in your dorm room, wishing you were somewhere else. College is not only about learning and gaining knowledge in a particular field; it is about finding your true identity, having fun and meeting people from all walks of life. College really does fly by, so don't waste your time wishing for something different; you only live once!

just to make sure that the student is going to be able to live and be comfortable with his or hers' surrounings with the campus. and to be ready to go to the next leve.

As a collegiate athlete, my college experience has been a little different compared to the average student. My advice for any student would be to make sure you find a school that can accomodate what you want to do and what courses you want to take. I originally went to Long Beach State and it turned out they didn't have anything close to what I wanted to study. When I was looking for other schools I made sure they had the classes I wanted to take and the resources I needed. After I found the educational path I wanted, I looked at the location, environment, and the overall bigger picture. For me, Hawaii was a no-brainer. I have family there, it has a great marine biology program, and Hawaii has a great culture. Sometimes when you are looking the perfect fit, you find a school and you just know it's the one for you.

When trying to find the right college to attend it's really important to first find one that is good for what you want to major in. Also you really need to visit the campuses and make sure you feel comfortable there. You'll know which one you like the best just from being there. Also, once your there don't limit your friends, try to meet everyone and engage in relationships with people from not only your dorm building but others, and even people from your classes. Meeting people from your classes will not only aid your social experience but your academic one too. It's good to know people who can help you out if you miss class, or just get lost in general. Parents need to let their kids have their freedom and don't be overbearing but let them know that you expect good grades and decision making. Sometimes just knowing your parents are still watching you and keeping tabs can be just the push you need to make you go to class!

choose the place you feel most comfortable going to

Do a research first and take everything into consideration like cost, convenience, and attitude of staff and students

To both parents and students.... No one will make the right choices about college, do your best to fit in, study hard, make new friends.... don't pick a college where all your friends are going. You need to expand in life, be bold, fly, spead your wings... and perhaps you will find yourself gliding through the sky without even knowing that you can.... College is all about making stupid mistakes and picking yourself back up... maybe making the same mistakes, however, live and learn... You only live once! ALOHA!

Research as much of the school prior to enrollment.

The adivce that I would give to a young student, is to start dreaming early. The younger you are to have a dream to solidify and work towards, the easier it will be to figure out the path to get there. Start in at least your junior year looking at colleges, and find out what school will benefit them most, and the fastest. What type of environment will they want to live in the next four years, and will that environment help you along your way of reaching their ultimate goal. Also, look beyond the campus. The city itself will be where they will learn just as important lessons. The last piece of advice that I would give is to dream big, and never let it go. The second that the dream is let go, that is when there is a chance it may not happen.

I would advise parents to let their child decide where they want to go to school; higher level education is what you make of it. Don't push for the name of the school, really look into what the school is about and find out what they can do for you in the long run.

To find the right college, I believe you should first try to figure out what interests you. For example, I am interested in the hospitality industry, and it just so happens I live in a state with a very good hospitality school. However, it is rare to live in a state with the school you want, so you may want to visit the schools that interest you the most. Find out what their program requirements are, the type of housing offered, what the surrounding neighborhood is like, and get an overall feel for the area you may be spending the next 4+ years of your life at. To make the most of a college experience, I would recomend trying to see the good in situations and the people you meet. Consider every person you meet an opportunity to make a friend as well as network. Try not to get distracted in your classes and to always try your hardest at your schoolwork. It may be tempting to go out and let loose all the time, but you're in college to learn, and that is what your focus should be. However, you should also be involved with campus activities.

Make sure you study at least 10-15 schools and try and go to some sites like rateyourprofessor.com to get the students input. Also, try and see if you get exact information about their programs - a course catalog is great - before you even apply. When you're there try and participate in clubs from the beginning - your courses are less demanding and you'll have that much more time to make lasting friends. Take advantage of every resource available to you at the campus - attend the job fairs, be sure to do an internship, apply for financial aid even if your parents were going to help, try your best to go on a foreign exchange program. Finally, be sure to take at least a couple courses (preferably one course every semester) that you're really intersted in and that's not really your major field of study.

I think the most important thing is that the students feels comfortable with the school environment and that there are clubs and activities that s/he can do to make them feel connected to the community. If the student does not feel like that, s/he might look at alternative ways to feel like they fit in for examply alcohol and drugs. It's also important to stress that college education is not ultimately about getting the degree. Too many students focus on getting the degree and they are completely lost when they have it. This limits the way they see themselves and what they think they can be. College education is also about self-exploration and finding out for the student who s/he wants to be. Without this exploration the student will be lost. For examply, if the courses s/he is taking in relation to the degree do not interest him/her, that says something. A good idea is to get together with an adviser to make sure you're on the right track. Make sure to get involved with the school in an unacademic sense also to make new friends. This creates a better learning environment.

Choosing the right college primarily depends on the student. Even if a college is not renowned for its academics, students have to reach beyond mediocrity in order to challenge his mind. Whether a student learns class material relates to the student's motivation to learn and to embrace challenges as a learning experience. Not only does college prepare one academically, but the social aspect of college prepares one for the world. Outside of college, the lack of proper social skills is a major problem. The world today holds social networking in high regard. In my opinion students need to realize a balance between academic challenges and social skills so that once a student graduates he will be well prepared to maturely handle every situation.

While money and job oportunity is important when looking for a major and college do not let that get in the way of your dreams because when you are working at a job you love to do it never feels like work. We each have our own strengths. Use them to achieve your goals in life, like the college you wish to attend! Also, never limit yourself. Allow room for growth, expansion, new ideas, and experiences...

For any person looking for a college experience. You need to find a school with a good academic advising program. These people will help you as much as you can through any confusion that you have in deciding what you want to do in life. We are all not perfect. Most students will not know what they want to major in when they first go to college. I have alot of friends who changed majors after a year or two in college. Join academic clubs and programs which will benefit you in the long run. Be open to meeting new people because in a college, ethnic backgrounds from around the world will be sitting right next to you. For the schools which you have choices to go. Stand in the middle of each one of those schools. Take a look around and go for the one which puts a sense of happiness and confidence in your heart. Then hit the books and get that dream job that you might not know about.

It's not the college you attend, it's what you youself learn - in the sense that it is ultimately your responsibility to learn, not your professors, advisors, etc. to teach you. You don't go to college expecting to learn everything you need to know to live the rest of your life. Learning is forever. But, remember that college grades are forever. You might not realize it now, but what appears on your transcript from here on out determines the rest of your life. Those reviewing your resume (for a job, graduate school, professional school, etc.) after you graduate will interpret each grade you earned as THE BEST you could do at the time. We will be judged over and over again in our lives by strangers who really hold our lives in their hands, but remember that luck is when good preparation meets opportunity. College is where we learn who we are, and don't be afraid if you don't know what you want, this is where we find out. Regardless if it takes you four years or eight years, when you finally discover what you are really passionate about, it's a success. Never give up.

After countless nights of searching for the 'right' school for me, financial situations outside of my power limited me to a single school: the local University. While I had MY college path decided for me, people around me flew far and wide to visit their potential campuses. All of them had one goal in mind, finding the 'right' campus. Lets fast-forward a year or so. I would say at least half of all of my friends are completely miserable at the colleges they went to. And not to sound like I know everything, but I think I've figured out why they were miserable, and I'm completely fine. Most of my friends went off to their respective campuses with the thought that the college was perfect for them. Raising the expectation so high that it was virtually unattainable. But lets be real here, people change, and that college that was so perfect for you, could end up being something you were not expecting at all. I believe that students should be open, flexible, and even adaptable to their college situation. My advice? Find out the basics, class size, cost, distance, and forget the rest, just be open.

Be sure that both the student and parent are satisfied with the choice.

i think the best advice would be for the student to choose which college they think will best fit them. It isnt about what the parents want for the student. Because otherwise its a waste of everyones time and money. some other advice would be to have fun and enjoy every part of the experience. Be open to meeting new people and experiencing different things.