I think everyone dreams of having been to Hawaii. During my studies, it is compulsory to complete a semester abroad . Since Hawaii Pacific University is not a partner university of my home university, the “Munich Business School”, my university still gave me the opportunity to study there, as long as I made the contact myself through College Contact. At that point in time I didn’t know whether, or how much I could rely on it, or what was in store for me. However, I have friends who have already completed their semester abroad at the HPU, which is why they give me, through exclusively positive feedback , my motivation for independent contact and application elevated in Hawaii.
Even if I received relatively little support from my university, the application process was relatively relaxed thanks to College Contact GmbH . The agency sent me all the necessary documents for the semester abroad, which I filled out on my own at home. These were then forwarded to the HPU via the agency. According to Topmbadirectory.com, a letter of motivation was also not necessary for this university. What you had to prove, however, was your financial status, whether you could afford this semester there. Oahu, the island on which the university is located, is relatively expensive, as everything has to be imported, of course.
Within a short time I got an acceptance from the university , so that further planning came about, such as booking flights, looking for an apartment, etc.
The anticipation grew more and more .
I was lucky that a friend was still involved in the HPU Facebook group , so she added me there. This told me that a college student in Hawaii was looking for a roommate. I contacted her and we quickly decided that I would be her new roommate. When I arrived, she greeted me at the airport with a flower chain, so that I could feel the Hawaiian feeling right away. The location of the apartment was just perfect. In the middle of Waikiki, with a view of the ocean and the supermarket next door. A pool was also integrated. Housing prices are of course also relatively high, especially in the tourist center of Waikiki. The student dormitory, right next to the college in downtown, wasn’t really cheaper either. So I was very happy to be able to live in this apartment instead of downtown (where there are also a lot of homeless people).
My Swedish roommate was only 20 years old at the time, so unfortunately she couldn’t go to clubs yet. However, the bars were open to everyone, not as I was used to in the rest of the USA . However, she was not allowed to drink alcohol. There are about 4-5 “clubs” on Waikiki Beach, which also offer various specials on certain days.
Since I was doing a spring semester there, according to the students, there were very few foreign students there compared to the autumn semester. That’s why I was all the more happy to have had such a roommate, who was also my best friend in Hawaii.
For the first time, my idea of Hawaii was only summer, sun, beach and relaxation.
However, when the college started, I got an impression of the school system there. The MBS dictated the areas in which I had to take courses . So I took advanced courses in marketing , management, and finance . Despite everything, they were easy to master. The HPU is known for teamwork. So I had in three out of four courses group presentations to keep. Every now and then, a group that you don’t get along with can of course lead to the fact that you don’t really enjoy one or the other subject. However, the international lecturers are open and are always on hand to help students with problems so that you can still get good grades even in the worst case . Even if I was fully busy for the university from Tuesday to Thursday, I had long weekends when I was always able to do great things.
Even if it may seem like it to one or the other , you never get bored on Oahu . There are many mountains to climb, from small hikes (approx. 30 minutes) to long ones (over 3 hours). (Normally I’m not a fan of hiking, but the beautiful views have even outvoted me more than once). You can surf, skydive, swim with dolphins or sharks, snorkel or dive, visit pineapple plantations, explore the island or do island hopping (Big Island, Maui, ..) – something for everyone
Even if Oahu is a small island, Waikiki Beach is the tourist hub. If you then drive (by car) to the north coast for half an hour to a full hour, there are huge waves where you can also see the professional surfers. In the west and in the east there are the deserted paradisiacal beaches. By the way, everything can be reached by bus, it just takes a little longer.
The seasons in Hawaii are the same as here in Germany, but January was about 27 degrees. A sweater is recommended in the evening, otherwise it was very pleasant. In May it got hotter and hotter.
All in all, this semester abroad was an absolute highlight of my studies.
I had a great time and can only recommend Hawaii to others . You get to know people from everywhere. An experience that nobody can take away from me.
