Two months away from graduation

Last week, I received an email from the Registrar. Turns out my Petition to Graduate form has been approved! I am 48 days away from graduating! :)

Attending HPU

The Location

I am currently taking all of my classes in the downtown campus where HPU’s buildings are scattered in various places. Although HPU has multiple buildings all over downtown, it should not take more than seven minutes to travel from one class to another. I find that the location of HPU’s downtown campus is highly convenient for every student attending the school. There are many restaurants ranging from Mexican to Filipino Restaurants and Italian to Local dining eateries. In addition, there are clothing shops such as Macy’s, Ross, and Local Fever where students are able to buy clothes within walking distance from school. Furthermore, if students need to buy school supplies, grocery shop, or other necessities, there is Longs, Fishers Hawaii, and Chinatown which are all again, within walking distance. Aside from what is located around campus, though, the students, faculty, and staff of HPU really show the “Aloha Spirit.” People hold the door for each other, say a friendly hello, greet each other, and smile at everyone who they pass by, even if they haven’t even met. If someone is having a difficult time navigating their way around campus or town, there are security guards who are variously stationed and can be found practically anywhere you need them to ask for directions. Overall, I am highly enjoying my time at HPU and would recommend my school to all students. Also, there is a shuttle that is free for students for transportation from both the Windward and Downtown campuses.

The Education and Professors

First of all, I want to make a shout out to HPU professors for not making students feel like just a number. I am always impressed when I cross paths with my professors from freshman year who I haven't spoke to in years, but still could call me by name. I am a semester away from graduating with a BA in Integrated Multimedia and have been on track to successfully complete my degree in four years as planned. I owe a lot to my professors for their endless support that helped me get this far... The professors here remarkably do their best to help when students are in need of assistance. In most classes, students are encouraged to speak up and notify the professor if the pacing of the lecture is too quick or too slow; this shows how much HPU professors want students to succeed. I know that finals and midterms are the most stressful times in the semester, however, I was inspired by one of the COM professors who told the class that mid-terms, finals, and other tests are a “celebration of knowledge.” With that in mind, I became more excited to learn about new concepts, new lessons, and further my knowledge than simply skim at through the surface of new ideas. 

Tips for Prospective Students

Upon deciding which college I wanted to attend four years ago, I was told by an academic counselor that "college is a match to be made, not a prize to be won." Students who choose a college just for its name is probably not a good idea because they're just after the name of the school. However, if the students really wants to attend that school, by all means. For students who are interested in attending HPU, my remarks are stated above. What else can I say? College is what you make it to be, wherever you go. On a side note and because I really just want to put this out there, HPU is not a "party school."