University:

The Hawai’i Pacific University campus is located in downtown Honolulu. In the area of ​​management and marketing, all courses also take place on this campus. However, I have met people who first had to go downtown to get a shuttle to the campus in Kaneohe. Most of those affected found this to be very cumbersome. At Hawai’i Pacific University, the staff and professors look after you in a very friendly manner. As soon as you have a problem, you can get help in several places. However, these have coordination problems with one another. But this is also known from universities in Germany.

The courses themselves were quite different for me. By and large, the entrepreneurship course had the level that I know from Germany. My marketing course, on the other hand, was very demanding in terms of workload, which cannot be said of the “International Business” course. The bottom line is that the courses at the HPU are easier than in Germany. The reason is that independent learning is not or hardly required.
Another small disadvantage is that there are a lot of Germans at the university, so that often half of the course participants speak their own language.

I can only recommend students to live in Waikiki, as Waikiki is bustling with life. This is where the world famous beach is and also where the night life takes place. It takes half an hour to get to the downtown campus and the supermarkets are a little further away, but since a lot of students live in Waikiki, it is easier to meet spontaneously. Unfortunately, Waikiki is expensive compared to other parts of the city, but you are right in the middle of the action. Another point is that you should try to find an apartment privately and NOT rent a room through organizations such as student housing etc.

Furthermore, I can only recommend getting a “State ID” for $ 15. The advantage is that if you lose your passport, the damage is not as great and you often get discounts as a resident, for example at Hanauma Bay. Since groceries are very expensive, there is the possibility of getting a membership for two people at Sam’s Club or Costco for 40 dollars. There groceries are much cheaper than in the other shops but are also offered in large quantities. At Sam’s Club there is the possibility to terminate the membership within one year without giving a reason and to get the money back.

Weather:

The weather is very nice and warm most of the time. In winter it gets a little cooler and the rainy days increase. Nevertheless, you usually only need a sweater in the evening. Since the air conditioning in buses, public buildings and especially in the Frear Center of the university is very cold, it is advisable to always have a sweater close at hand.

Activities and free time:

Shore and other corners of Oahu to explore. Hanauma Bay and Lanikai are particularly beautiful. It is highly recommended to rent a car through a German website to explore the islands. The reason is that rental cars on German websites are significantly cheaper than renting them directly on site. I have often gone on hikes with friends to see the extraordinary landscape that cannot be reached by car. If you want to go on a crazy hike, you should do the “Stairway to Heaven”. What is an absolute must is snorkeling, surfing and whale watching in winter.
If you have the time and money, I can only recommend that you take a look at other islands. For example, I was on Kaua’i and the Big Island, which have very different landscapes. The people there are also generally friendlier than on Oahu. And to be honest, you rarely get the opportunity to see lava up close (Big Island), or to experience a coast like the Napali Coast (Kaua’i).

Conclusion:

It was the best decision of my life. You meet people from all over the world and the archipelago is just beautiful. Unfortunately, the whole project is quite expensive, but you will probably not get the opportunity to explore such a paradise for such a long period of time. It is more than recommended and I would go back anytime. Hawai’i is a must for all those who prefer nice weather and interesting surroundings. However, you should also be open to new things, as the culture is very different from the German culture.