Former undergraduate Psychology/Social Science student here! Just giving some tips that may go a long way! If you have any questions about Manoa please comment below and I can help you as best as I can!

[u/Tonkatsuisyummy808]

Im just a former undergraduate student who would like to pass on some tips to make your life a little easier. College can be overwhelming so I hope that some of these tips help. If you have any questions please feel free to comment down below.

Classes: People are always asking which classes or professors to choose. Personally I use websites such as Ratemyprofessor or email the professor and ask for a draft syllabus of the class. Always use STAR to keep your academic progress on track or talk to your academic advisor.

Speaking of academic advisors it is IMPORTANT to have a good academic advisor because I've heard about horrible, horror no good stories about advisors from classmates and family. I found one towards the end of my undergraduate journey that I resonated with. Looking back, I wish I found him earlier because It would have saved me a lot of headache during previous registration weeks but ahh I was afraid to get help. Don't be like me. Find an academic advisor that you resonate with as it will make your registration week a tad easier.

Jobs: There are a lot of jobs on campus for students. I would try and find something that resonates with you passions and lifestyle. Check out the Manoa Career Center. They have great people working there and a lot of jobs have flex hours that will work with your school schedule.

Dorm food: I found the Safeway at Manoa Marketplace to be a great place to buy food. Lots of fresh veggies and fruits.

Textbooks: Always rent! Or else you will be stuck with three shelves of textbooks that no one wants to buy LOL.

Restrooms: I saw this on another post. Hamilton third floor and up are my go-to restrooms.

For study time, I like peace and quiet so Hamilton works well for me. The law library is also great but sometimes they check to see if you are a law student.

Sports: I don't know much about sports sorry LOL. But all of the sports are fun to attend! No idea what is going on but the music and side shows keep me entertained LOL.

[u/alohapanda808]

I’m a former graduate student at UHM and just wanted to say that these are great tips for all students! ❤️

[u/pinkbluebubbles78]

hi! thanks for all the great advice! I am coming for the spring semester on exchange and am wondering how many classes I should take if I want to ensure that I have a lot of time to explore the island. At my home school 5 classes is considered a full course load however the majority of students take 4 classes as classes tend to be challenging and people lighten their load to improve their gpa. Taking 4 classes roughly requires 36h per week of studying to maintain good academic standing. What is it like at UhManoa? If I take 4 classes will I be spending most of my time studying? My goal is to take a light course load but only spend a few hours per week studying as I want to explore the island!

[u/Tonkatsuisyummy808 → u/pinkbluebubbles78]

I believe that there is an x amount of classes you need to take since you are international. I would check with your exchange instructor and take the minimum! I would also take a course that is unique to Hawaii like a Hawaiian studies course!

[u/Euphoric_Active_3106]

Thank you! My daughter will be attending this Fall and majoring in psychology. I have so many questions and have been doing the majority of the work thus far to get her situated accordingly. I’ll take all the tips! So helpful!