I just finished my first week of college as a freshman at University of Hawaii Manoa. From getting lost (which I surprisingly didn't) to necessities, to tips on maneuvering your first week, here are some pieces of advice!
1) ALWAYS carry your student i.d
You need your student i.d for almost everything. For eating with your meal plan, to picking up books at the bookstore, to riding The Bus for free. Along with your i.d, don't forget your Resident Hall card, which acts like a hotel room card for your dorm. You don't wanna get locked out of your dorm!
2) Get to class EARLY
You wanna schedule to arrive at your class 10-15 min early , and leave early to your class just in case you get lost along the way! Also, arriving early can help you avoid having to walk into a full classroom, everyone staring at you, and forcing you to sit in a crappy seat you don't want to sit in. Leaving even more early can give you a chance to take your time and not rush, and even get a bite to eat!
3) Carry a MAP!
Whether it be a picture of a map on your phone, or a paper map, always have one! The first week at least, cause your bound to get lost on such a huge campus. One tip I suggest is listing your schedule with the rooms on the map, and circle the buildings using different color coding so with just a glance, you know where you are going and when you are going.
4) See Academic ADVISORS
If you are confused with anything, need help with anything, want to pan out things, or wanna know if your taking the right courses, SEE YOUR ADVISOR(S) ! Note that you can have multiple advisors , like an Honors , and Specific school advisor (ex. TIM Advisor) so make sure you see and know all your advisors.
5) Tips for living in the UH FRESHMAN TOWERS
FANS, FANS, AND MORE FANS!!! It gets really warm with no air conditioning in the dorms, so opening up the windows, propping your door open, and having (i suggest 3 to 4) fans , will make it more bearable. Also, The earlier you shower and use the bathroom , the better! So either use it early in the morning , or early in the evening. Or else you'll have to deal with a wet floor and a gross toilet.
