Hawai’i Pacific University (HPU) is located in the heart of Honolulu, a great metropolitan hub and an ever-growing city also known as a “melting pot.” Bringing together race diversity from both the east and west, cuisine, art, adventure, and culture intermix together. For us HPU students, most of our concepts of “time” and “seasons” have basically meshed into one mentality: spring break forever! With an average of about 80 degrees year round, we can sometimes forget that the rest of the world is actually experiencing a winter…Hey east coast, are you getting chilly over there yet? Another major benefit of coming to HPU, besides the obvious tropical greenery, white sand beaches and great nightlife, is the close proximity of the Hawaiian Islands to one another.
So what are your Spring Break plans this 2017? Camping on O’ahu’s North Shore? Procrastinating that 300-page communications paper or stats homework? This year, try something new and take up Drake’s offer (à la his song “Right Hand”) to go to Maui with your girlfriends! Island hopping is very popular among students and most residents of O’ahu. The Big Island, Maui, Kauai, The Road to Hana, Kona and the Na Pali coast; no matter what your dream destination on the islands is – it is all accessible and affordable!
Traveling from island to island is made easier with the help of a few airline companies willing to give student discounts, such as Island Air. With their “College Student Standby Program”, Island Air provides students from colleges on Maui, Hawai’i island, O’ahu, and Kauai discounted rates to fly standby to most Hawai’i airports for only $49! Island Air has more information on how to access these tickets on their website:
“The College Student Standby Program is available to all students currently enrolled at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu, University of Hawai’i at Hilo, six community colleges (Honolulu Community College, Kapiʻolani Community College, Kaua’i Community College, Leeward Community College, Maui College and Windward Community College), Chaminade University of Honolulu, Brigham Young University-Hawai’i, and Hawai’i Pacific University who are traveling between the islands of O’ahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawai’i Island”.
The only thing you need for the discount is a valid student ID. There are also currently NO limitations on how many times this discount may be used…Spring break forever, right? Regular pricing for flights between islands can range anywhere from $90 to $350, depending on what time your arrangements were booked. We know you ain’t got time for that!
Being located within this “melting pot” of a city, HPU also very much prides itself on its diversity of its students and provides ways in which each individual can immerse themselves into the Hawaiian culture while also cultivating a means to keep their culture personal to them. Division 2 athletics, intramural sports, clubs, and social services are offered to help students adjust and expand on their interests and hobbies. It is a fact that HPU is one of the most diverse school in the nation – having several students from each country of the world!
If you are an outdoor-connoisseur or beach-enthusiast, every corner of O’ahu has what you are looking for. From the mostly-empty beaches and diving in west O’ahu, to the city and nightlife in Waikiki, to the Ko’olau mountain range on the east and the country roads in the North Shore, this island has some sort of perfection suited for your wanderlust-filled heart. And if you’ve explored this island to your heart’s content, it’s only a $100 round trip to your favorite neighboring island. What island is next on your list?