Studying in Hawaii (Honolulu: apartments, rentals, crime)

[Randomstudent]

I am a college senior who is about to graduate and wants to pursue a law degree. Based on my GPA and practice LSAT scores (I know it is premature until I get the real ones) the University of Hawaii Manoa seems to a good fit for me. I like the class sizes and from the research I have done I feel like I would really enjoy the campus and community. I have been reading the forums and despite most of the negatives that have been mentioned I think I would love Hawaii. I do not see Hawaii as a tropical paradise where I can live like a king, but I do see it as having good weather, friendly people, and a solid law school. The only major problem is cost. I will have no debt upon graduating from college, but my finances are reasonably tight. I plan on working while in school and will be able to get some loans, grants and perhaps some scholarship aid from the school (if I am fortunate enough to earn it) in order to cover the costs. What I am wondering however, is what sort of expenses will I be faced with living in Honolulu? I have lived in London for a bit so I am used to the concept of sticker shock, with dollar/pound rate, but, even so I imagine rent, utilities, groceries, and transportation will be quite a handful. I am also wondering what mass transit is like since there is no way I can bring my car over if I go? This also means I will probably have to live nearby the University and from the research I have done, while more affordable then say Waikiki, that area still a pricey area. Though space is not a huge concern for me, I am used to dorm rooms; I do not want to be hamstrung by rent. My central worry is that I will get so buried in debt even a good law firm job wouldn’t be able to get me out. As for moving it would be just me, no kids, pets, etc. As a college student I am used to living very cheaply, but I do not want to be living in the slums.

On a side note another thing I am curious about is crime? Will I have to be paranoid about theft or violence particularly drug related?
Could this potentially work? Do I have a good impression of the law school? or should I abandon the idea and focus on mainland schools instead?

Thanks in advance
any input would be helpful.

[hotzcatz]

Public transportation on Oahu is excellent and you can walk from the University to Waikiki albeit is a long walk. They sell a monthly bus pass for "The Bus" which will be about all the transportation expenses you will need although a bicycle or moped would come in handy, too. There are a lot of folks who share rentals so you should be able to find some reasonable priced accommodations since it is just you with no pets. The majority of crime on Oahu is the theft of property type of crime. Lock up your bicycle and moped, don't leave a backpack on the beach sort of thing. There are loads of little eateries all over the place, many students basically eat out instead of prepare their own meals. There are also several grocery stores near the university and two health food stores, too.

To live inexpensively on Oahu, be flexible about housing and eating and see what folks there are doing to live on less. If you expect mainland style food and housing, it can get extremely expensive.

[Randomstudent]

Sorry about the font markers my first time posting hehe

Hotzcatz
Thank you for the advice. I am glad to know public transit is good and that student living in Oahu, though it may be different from the mainland, is potentially an option.

[newUHprof]

I'm a new prof at UHM. My take: Lots of students (undergrad & grad... don't know the law students, though) make ends meet by working in the service industry (waiting tables or bartending or teaching surfing or whatever), sharing housing, and commuting by bus, bike, or these weird little wiggly skateboard thingys. It's nice here year-round, so the bike commuting is a real option. I pay $40/mo for a bus pass, but students get a cheaper one... don't know the price.

It's expensive here, but not significantly more than LA, NYC, Boston, etc. So if you're looking for law schools in big cities, it's not going to be much more of a stretch for you here.

As for the law school: I know one graduate of it. He is an insanely rich lawyer dude in Alaska. FWIW. UHM is a bona-fide Research University with good faculty and hard-working students (who also come to class in slippers and bathing suits, but so what?). The faculty I've met everywhere seem truly excellent in their fields. I don't have any reason to think the law school is any different.

As for crime... I came here from USC, in south-central LA. So, in my opinion, crime is super duper low here. I hear about occasional car break-ins and bike thefts. Manoa (where the university is located) is a pretty safe and chi-chi neighborhood. But most students don't live in Manoa. The areas with the cheaper housing may have more crime, too. But I wouldn't classify it as a serious concern. Be smart, check out areas before you move there, lock up your bike. It's better than most other big cities where I've lived.

[Randomstudent]

That sounds great, I especially like the slippers and bathing suit part. That kind of atmosphere is part of why I went to the college I did, and I often go to class in slippers. Thank you for your advice and confirming UHM for me. Next step is to get the scores to get in lol.

Thanks again

[Randomstudent]

I started this thread a long while ago and now have the info I was missing before, as I have learned my final LSAT and GPA scores. (It took a while, but I am finished and have all the info)

I have a 3.46 GPA and a 163 LSAT so UHM law school seems like it would be a really good option. I am definitely going to apply and all of my research suggests I have a relatively high chance of getting in. I am wondering if anyone can provide me with more info about the law school, any good areas to live for students, what rent is like, how to search for potential roommates and rentals while on the mainland etc. mostly basic student living issues. I have read other threads about people moving from the mainland, but as a student, I would be looking for apartments with roommates and or shared student/cooperative rental houses and am wondering if these are in certain areas or spread around the city or if they exist at all? I am also open to other ideas of how to live or if there is any sort of cheap uniquely Hawaiian style rental that might work? I loved the information I have read hear so far, but I am always excited to learn more. If I do get into and decide to go to UHM I will visit again before I move. (The last time I was in Honolulu was the late 1990s and I loved it.) Could anyone give me advice about how to go about doing this in a cost effective way and what I should potentially look for/do in order to prepare to move as a student in particular?

I am both excited about potentially doing this and a little cautious/nervous since it seems more like a possible after receiving my real scores.

Any additional information about what it is like for students in Hawaii who come from the mainland would be great.

Mahalo (I hope I got that right) for your help.

[newUHprof]

My dept. sets up each incoming grad student with a "kokua" -- a current student whose job is to answer precisely these kinds of questions. Folks on this forum can try to help, but you don't really want to know even about undergrad experiences... your best bet would be a call or email to the Law School main office. Ask if there are a couple of current students who'd be willing to answer some questions of an applicant. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to give you some names.