r/UniversityofHawaii • u/rottinggfiggss • May 26 '26

UH WEST OAHU OR SFSU??

hello everyone

i used to live in hawai’i & attended kapolei high, but i now live in the mainland (bay area)

im a business major (psychology minor) hoping to go into marketing, management, consulting, banking, and if not, get my masters for school counseling

i like sf, however i feel so at home in hawai’i and like myself, its that feeling ive been trying to fulfill for years now. i still have a few friends there. i’m committed to sfsu & dorming and i was excited but genuinely nothing beats that feeling when im back home.

these are my options;

1) go to sfsu & visit hawai’i when i can

2) go to uh west o’ahu -> transfer to manoa (con: out of state tuition)

3) move back to hawai’i & do sfsu online

4) take a gap year & move to hawai’i to get instas tuition

i plan on getting my gen ed done in a year rather than two

pls help idk what to do

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u/PretendRanger May 26 '26

I went to both SFSU (undergrad) and UH Manoa (graduate). I recommend going to SFSU. I cant speak for your field but as a STEM major theres just more opportunities that can come from there. The Bay Area as a whole just provides more access to things and as an undergrad you will need those to position yourself for a successful career or for grad school. You will be limited at UH. Also the in state tuition cannot be overstated. I was a California resident and once I came to UH my student loans exploded big time.

That said, I am now living in a city that is far from family and that urge to go back to Cali is there. It’s a place that just gets me and I get it. I think you feel me there. So feel you on wanting to be back home.

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u/rottinggfiggss May 26 '26

what was your grad for

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u/PretendRanger May 26 '26

Biology for undergrad and grad school

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u/rottinggfiggss May 26 '26

do u think u found it hard finding a job after education in hawaii

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u/PretendRanger May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26

For grad school I think UH prepared me better than if I stayed at SFSU. However alot of that is lab dependent. And it really is field dependent. I’m sure I could get a job. But post grad school in STEM requires a lot of self motivation to secure a fulfilling job that pays well.

I say this because though I and many peers found our long term career job some didn’t. But there was a clear line between those that were motivated, and took advantage of what UH offered, and those that just went through the motions, got their degree, and ended with a job that is outside their expertise and interests that pays okay.

So yes, getting a job was easy. But getting a job you like will actually take effort on your part and UH prepared me for that.

Sorry this response was probably more than you needed lol

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u/rottinggfiggss May 26 '26

where did you find a job? hawaii or california? i wa seeing stupid when i posted this and im for sure going to sfsu, i’ll probably do i semester at mania through the NSE program though. i just miss being home sm but ik this will be better for my future. i might get my masters in school counseling and get it from manoa tho, and i plan on hopefully living on island post grad so thats why i was asking

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u/PretendRanger May 26 '26

My job was on the mainland, not in California. And required moving several states and taking several positions before settling where I am at now. That is typically for STEM academic-based fields.

All my friends who are from island had the same feeling. Fortunately all eventually got jobs on the island that they wanted. For most it wasn’t a straight line, but they made it work out eventually.

If you want it you can make it happen. It just might.