Moving to Hawaii for UH - Manoa grad school (apartment, rentals)

[mgs8786]

Hey I will be moving to Hawaii to attend UH at Manoa for grad school in the middle of August. I am currently going to school in Michigan. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for making the adjustment to living in Hawaii.

Also any info/ tips about the campus area. I'm not sure if I should live in the dorms my first year or try to find an apartment. Any ideas?

Finally, is there any rowing in the area? (I'm not talking about kayaking or canoeing) I was looking to row with a club or possibly coach somewhere.

Thanks

[Sweetbeet]

Uh, leave your down jacket behind! Hee hee. (I went to school in Michigan, hated it there - where are you? Kalamazoo, East Lansing, Ann Arbor, or other?)

[mgs8786]

I'm from the Grand Rapids Area, I go to Grand Valley State

[thornpicker]

I grew up in the Detroit area and moved to Hawaii for a couple years when I was in my early 20's. Some friends of mine had moved there and I just went for a visit and decided to stay. Whether you like it or not is pretty much up to you and your personality. I personally loved it and can't wait to move back!

Read through some of the previous threads--use the search feature--you'll get a lot of great information and a lot of opinions--I will, however, caution you to take it all with a grain of salt, go there yourself and check it out first.

A lot of the things people write about are true--others are personal experiences which should not be discredited, but they are one person's experience.

Yes, it's expensive--don't drink milk--everyone complains about high food prices and always talks about milk--Hawaii is heavily influenced by Asian culture and Asians are typically lactose intolerant--that's why you don't get an Asian meal dripping with cheese--learn to eat a little differently and you'll be fine.

Housing is outrageous--not sure about dorm costs--roommates are a good option--search craigslist to get an idea

Racism happens everywhere--don't get jaded by what a few people say--I experienced a little of the "haole hate" people talk about, but it was really rare and most of my experiences were quite the opposite when I lived there.

Aloha and enjoy the islands!
Thornpicker

[tinted]

I actually dormed at UH Manoa for undergrad in the late 90s. If you can afford it, you'll want to get an apt off campus. I did, after my first year. The dorms were very rundown, and though that was 10 years ago, I don't believe there's been any major renovations since. The only positive would be that you could walk to school, since parking at UH is a nightmare.

[mgs8786]

Thanks for the advice. I want to try to find an apt and not live in the dorms. Are the buses pretty good for getting to and from campus?

[LeeHigh]

The buses are great! No worries there! You can obtain a bus pass for a fair price. Since you are older, you shouldn't experience racism as much as my 13 year old has gone through. People also advertise rooms for rent and some have 1/1 cottages attached to their homes for a fair price. Check out "craigslist" and also "oahure.com" ---it used to have "rentals" listed.