Want to Attend UH at Manoa, Oahu for Marine Biology...Please help? (Hilo: rent)

[ChelGirl920]

Hi! So here's a rundown (or a manuscript lol) of my situation... I'm an 18 year old girl, a senior in high school (graduating in June) and I want to study marine sciences...I'm a resident of upstate New York (VERY country, cows, Amish people, etc) and NY colleges aren't exactly ideal for oceanic studies...My dream is to attend college in Hawaii..I'm not completely naive or unrealistic about living standards/ making it on my own..I visited some relatives 3 years ago (for almost 2 months) and attended h.s. there for a week in Aiea..my family heritage/culture is actually Hawaiian/pacific islander which is why I feel a connection to the islands, and why I do not want to just go to a Florida mainland college..I LOVE the ocean and marine life (hence my major) and thought Hawaii would be perfect..I can see myself living and dying in the ocean lol..my concerns/questions are:
The campus seems so HUGE, will I be completely lost and alone by myself?
How are the dorms/dorm life? Is it practical to assume I don't need a car? I know about TheBus, but is it really easy to use?
Does anyone know about the Marine sciences field and if its hands-on (doing work in the ocean, etc.)? I'll be so far from home, I want it to be worth it..I feel like there won't be any turning back..I want to continue living there, and the rest of my family plans on joining me later when they have the money, but who knows when that would be..I really want to make this happen. But I'm not exactly loaded with cash..I'm a good student with a 3.8 GPA and I plan on getting a job..is it feasible to pay for out-of-state tuition/books/room/board, etc. with scholarships and financial aid? I really do not want to resort to loans..Am I crazy for wanting to do this? Am I being unrealistic? I'm not expecting it to be all beaches and partying, although that's a bonus I know Fall 2010 semester starts August 24th, but when is the soonest I could move into the dorms?
Would it be better to get an apt and answer a roommate ad? What about creepy/sketchy people? WHAT am i getting myself into?? Thanks so much for any advice/info!

[hotzcatz]

Your relatives aren't in Aiea anymore? Living with them (and perhaps paying a bit of rent or buying food) would be the easiest route.

The Bus services the college area pretty well.

If you were to live in Hawaii for a year first, I think you then qualify as a resident? I'm not sure what the restrictions are on that, there are some sort of requirements to become a valid citizen as far as the University is concerned.

[Balad1]

I'm thinking that if you don't have some serious cash you aren't going to make this happen.

Here is another University that offers the program too:

Hawaii Pacific University

[newUHprof]

Originally Posted by ChelGirl920

The campus seems so HUGE, will I be completely lost and alone by myself?

Live in the dorms if you can, at least your first year. You'll meet people. I don't see a lot of "alone" students in my classes. They're busy like crazy, but they all know each other from classes, dorms, work, etc.

How are the dorms/dorm life? Is it practical to assume I don't need a car? I know about TheBus, but is it really easy to use?

Frear Hall is nice. Others are less nice. But they're all livable, and the worst of them are being upgraded.

If you anywhere near campus, you do not want or need to deal with a car. Parking on & around campus is a pain. The Bus is great (and UH students get to ride free thanks to a deal with the student activities fee). Also lots of students who have busier schedules have bikes, skateboards, or mopeds / scooters... a lot less expensive and a lot easier to park.

Does anyone know about the Marine sciences field and if its hands-on (doing work in the ocean, etc.)?

I know some grad students in the program. They work off at Coconut Island and do some amazing stuff.

I'll be so far from home, I want it to be worth it..I feel like there won't be any turning back..I want to continue living there,

This is the one thing you'll have to think carefully about. What will you do post-graduation to continue living here? There's not a lot of work for people with an undergrad degree in Marine Sciences around here... you either need a grad degree, or you're probably working in the service industry. (Not 100% true... you could get certified to teach, but it doesn't sound like that's what you want.) (Also, I could be wrong about this... maybe contact the department, actually the college is called SOEST for "School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology" and see what kinds of jobs their graduates place into. Someone there should be able to answer that question.)

Usually, you end up at a school that is a "tier down" from where you do your grad studies. So if your goal is to end up doing science as a UH researcher, then you should be thinking about schools that are more prestigious than that for your studies.

is it feasible to pay for out-of-state tuition/books/room/board, etc. with scholarships and financial aid? I really do not want to resort to loans..

Probably you will need loans to get by, but since it's a state school, if you establish residency, your loans will be much smaller than if you were to go to a private school.

I know Fall 2010 semester starts August 24th, but when is the soonest I could move into the dorms?

Dorm move-in is the week before classes start, usually starting on Wed or Thurs, I think.

[ChelGirl920]

Thanks NewUHProf for the info! Living with with my relatives in Aiea isn't really an option b/c my family isn't on good terms with them anymore..something I can't fix..

[HibbityDibbity]

Originally Posted by newUHprof

*clip*

Great info!

My girlfriend was able to land a couple jobs in town as a research associate for a couple different scientists -- at RCUH (Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii) after completing her undergrad of BS in Marine Bio. Sounds like her case is the exception, though.

Couple points to make:

HPU is a private school, so tuition is the same regardless of residency. That being said they do a lot in the way of tuition assistance. If you are in band, play a sport, cheerlead, sing, there are opportunities for a 100% tuition waiver. I have a friend who got his undergrad and graduate degree's from HPU 100% paid by playing the trombone in band/pep-band. Also, they have something along the lines of "spirit club", "cheer club", etc. that gets a 50% tuition waiver for showing up to all HPU sports home games. No kidding.

Up to you though to determine what program is better/better suited for you.

Lastly, here's some guidelines on residency and how to establish residency from the UH Hilo website: Establishing Residence in the State of Hawaii for Tuition Purposes

Good luck in your decision making process!

[HankDfrmSD]

Originally Posted by ChelGirl920

Hi! So here's a rundown (or a manuscript lol) of my situation... I'm an 18 year old girl, a senior in high school (graduating in June) and I want to study marine sciences

Read this thread:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/hawai...u-h-manao.html

[jodee4]

Hey! So I'm going to go to the University of Hawaii at Manoa this Fall for marine biology so I can't tell you anything from personal experience.

Tuition for the first year will probably be pretty expensive since you aren't part of the WUE like I am but once you establish residency that cost will go way down. Also since you have a 3.8 you will definately get some scholarships. I have a 3.8 gpa and I didn't do to well on my SAT( I got a 1750) and they still gave me the option of having like a 12,000 or 16,000 dollar scholarship which would definately help except I can't use it with WUE.

For dorms..yea I have heard that they are run down and stuff like that but I also hear that Frear hall is really nice and still pretty new. Although I think those aren't options as freshman. There are really only three hall options for incoming freshman...at least that's how it was on my dorm application. and they all look pretty much the same.

I personally think that UHM might not be the best of schools for some majors but marine biology is definately one that the school excels in. I don't know how long you want to be in school are what you want to do with your major but if you plan on working out in the field you will definately need to go to grad school. Personally i want to work with and study whales so I know I will be going to school for a while

Transportation...hmm..I'm kind of nervous about this one myself. I definately will not be shipping my car over there so I sure hope that my feet and the bus can get me every where i need to go.

Anyways...those are just some of my ideas. Hope it helps

Hope to see you there

[julygirl]

Hi, you said your heritage is Native Hawaiian. If you can prove that you're part Hawaiian, then you're exempt from paying out of state even if you're a nonresident. This should help a lot with tuition.

Look at the UH catalog about half way down the page under exemptions: University of Hawaii at Manoa Catalog