2025 Hawai‘i College Guide: A Local Kid’s Guide to Surviving College

Scheduling Classes

1. Meet with your adviser every semester. Before choosing your classes, make sure that you meet with your adviser so they can help you build a schedule that will allow you to graduate within four years. Find your academic adviser with the school’s advising guide.
2. Before signing up for classes, check ratemyprofessors.com. Professors can often make or break a class and your GPA, so it is helpful to see what previous students have had to say. However, take it with a grain of salt, as reviews are often biased. Also, if you like a professor, consider enrolling in another course they’re teaching in the future. Building rapport with your professors is vital if you’re considering going to graduate school, but it can also make your college life a lot more enjoyable.
3. Don’t be afraid to change your major. You will be experiencing a lot of change and growth during your college years, and you might not like or want the same things you did in high school. Once you’ve thought it through and taken everything into consideration, it’s better to change your pathway sooner than further down the road. Consider taking your general education courses first to give you time to think.
4. Remember to check not just the times, but also locations of your classes. If you have back-to-back classes across campus from each other, will you make it? Try to take classes at the optimal times for you. If you know you’re not an early bird, avoid those 7:30 a.m. seminars—or, if you know you get sleepy after lunch, don’t schedule a class right after you eat.
5. Interested in studying abroad? It might be difficult to find classes that meet your major requirements abroad, so save some of your core requirements to take abroad instead. It might be best to study abroad in your sophomore year so that you get acquainted with college life before switching to another new campus, but it’s important to work with your academic adviser to choose the right courses for your degree pathway. Make sure you keep track of application deadlines for different programs so you don’t miss any opportunities.
6. If you earned any college credits early (AP/IB/Running Start/Early College/transfer credits) make sure to submit your official scores and/or transcripts to your school’s admissions office at least a month before course registration, so those courses can be evaluated and you can receive official credit for them.
7. Look into CLEP testing for credits. College Board’s College Level Examination Program exams cost less than $100 per test and offer an alternative way to earn your general education credits. With more than 30 exam subjects, CLEP can help you save money, free up your schedule or graduate early, so be sure to review your school’s CLEP policy and consider registering for an exam at clep.collegeboard.org.

Illustration: Hailey Akau

Getting Around

• Research public transportation. Bus or metro passes are often included in a university’s student fees, and your student ID will double as a bus pass, so don’t wait until classes start to pick it up. Even if you have a car, you might find public transportation to be more convenient.
• Check out the school shuttles. Many schools, like New York University and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, have an app for free school shuttles that provides estimated shuttle times.
• Split rides with friends. Riding by yourself in an Uber or Lyft can be expensive and sometimes sketchy, so travel in groups. Students have access to Lyft’s Ride Smart Program, which offers college communities free or discounted transportation.
• Search areas near your school for free parking. Parking on campus might be convenient, but it can be costly, so if you’re commuting from far away, drive to areas like mall parking lots or safe neighborhoods nearby. Just be sure to give yourself enough time to go the rest of the way.
• Depending on the size of your school, you may want to invest in a bike, electric scooter or skateboard to shave off minutes when getting from one class to the next.

Illustration: Hailey Akau

Working Part-Time

• Search the school’s job database. Campus jobs usually hire for the next year or semester, so more crop up near the end of term. Many schools also hold student job fairs, so keep an eye out for those notices.
• Check your emails regularly. Your school and the department you choose your major in will both send you emails regarding exclusive internship and job opportunities, so make sure to check them and apply to all your desired positions. Some schools split jobs into work-study, which are usually a school-sponsored position and a form of financial aid, and nonwork-study jobs, which are typically only available to students who do not need financial assistance.
• Look for “help wanted” signs on and off campus. Go on a walk downtown and keep your eye out around campus. Some jobs might not be posted online. Restaurant jobs are usually a good way to get your foot in the door if you don’t have any prior experience, and they usually offer employee discounts for food.
• Walk into places where you want to work and ask if they’re hiring. Bring your résumé and leave it with them in case of an opening.
• If all else fails, the dining hall and the campus bookstore are usually easy places to get hired as a student.

Illustration: Hailey Akau

Gearing Up

1. If you’re heading someplace cold, it’s best to buy winter jackets there to save money and space in your suitcase. You also might want to see how much room you have in your closet first. Consider investing in a few storage bins that can fit under your bed, or store your winter clothes in your suitcase.
2. In many places, it will get dark around 5 p.m. during the winter. So consider buying a sun lamp or some fairy lights to hang in your dorm to fight those dark afternoons and seasonal depression.
3. Be the cool kid from Hawai‘i with all the ‘ono Hawai‘i snacks—Spam, furikake popcorn, li hing mui sour belts—and a rice cooker. Spread da aloha, and stock up on your favorites for when you get home sick.
4. If you’re lucky you’ll get a twin XL in your dorm, but most likely you’ll be stuck with a twin bed. Either way, college dorm beds are not comfortable. A mattress pad, however, is an easy fix.
5. Don’t forget about the little things, like office supplies, extension cords, nail clippers, bandages, etc. You won’t realize the necessity of small household items until you don’t have them. Consider putting together a first aid kit. You should also have supplies like staplers, tape, paper clips and more. You know your habits best, so take a look around your home and make note of everything you use.
6. Depending on your dorm regulations, consider purchasing a microwave and air fryer. This way you can save money by making your own food and ditch the unhealthy options of eating out. But be sure to check if your residential hall has a communal kitchen first—there might be a stove, oven and microwave already provided.

Illustration: Hailey Akau

Money Tips

Download an app such as Paypal, Venmo or Cash App. Every time you go out to eat with friends, come across a campus fundraiser or just need to pay your roommate for toilet paper, various apps and some banks let you do it instantly, so you can request and send money from a bank account. If you live with someone and often have split expenses, Splitwise is a free app that keeps track of everything and does the math for you so you’re not constantly sending money back and forth. Also, Unidays is a website that allows college students to get exclusive discounts on subscriptions, clothes, technology and more. Be sure to sign up with your college email to save some coin. myunidays.com

Illustration: Hailey Akau

Buying Books

• Don’t go to the campus bookstore first! While it’ll be your No. 1 resource for school swag, the books are almost always pricier there.
• To clarify what books will be used in your class, contact your professors. Email them before the class starts so you have enough time for your books to come in. Some professors may even provide the text for free or change their syllabus, so don’t order anything until you’ve confirmed you need it.
• BookFinder.com and Chegg.com are incredible online resources—BookFinder compares prices of new and used books from more than 100,000 sellers, so you can be sure you’re getting the best deal, and Chegg shows you options for both renting and purchasing books, so you can see which one is better for you.
• Buying used textbooks is cheaper; plus you may find useful notes to help you ace the test. (Think of it as a free personal tutor.)
• Check Amazon for textbook rentals, or as another option for finding used books that are in good condition. Anyone with a school email address can start an Amazon Prime Student account for half the usual membership price, which comes with free two-day shipping and access to free movies and music. (Amazon also offers a six-month free trial.)