BY ZORAH BURRESS / Kalamalama Staff
I’ve been at Hawaii Pacific University for two years now living in two very different living situations.
During my first year as a freshman, I lived in the Waterfront dorms at Aloha Tower. This year, one of my old roommates and I moved into a two-bedroom apartment near Ala Moana.
From personal experience, there are pros and cons to living both on- and off-campus.
MEALS
While living in the dorms, the one very convenient thing was the dining hall. I loved being able to go down to the dining hall whenever I was hungry or just needed a quick snack.
Every day the chefs prepared different meals. The grill was always open so if the meal of that day didn’t seem like something you’d be interested in, they’d grill you up anything you want. My go-to breakfast from the dining hall was toast with scrambled eggs, avocado, and bacon on top, with a side of fruit.
Now that I’m living off campus, I didn’t continue my dining hall pass. I have to go get groceries weekly and cook for myself. Groceries in Hawaii are very expensive so finding healthy food for a relatively cheap price is difficult.
Although it is nice to have total control over what you are eating for the day, if you have a job or go to school full-time, it is much easier to just go grab food from the dining hall whenever you are done instead of coming home and needing to cook a whole meal.
I usually try and meal prep for the days I’m really busy and have no time to cook full meals. Another thing about the dorms is there aren’t any stoves, so even if you wanted to cook for yourself, you aren’t able to.
TRANSPORTATION
Another nice part about living on campus was that you didn’t have to worry about transportation.
Between classes, dorms, and Walmart, pretty much everything was within walking distance. Unless you wanted to go to a different part of the island, a mode of transportation wasn’t necessarily “essential”. Hui rental cars are parked right outside of Aloha Tower dorms, so if you need a vehicle, it’s easily accessible to rent for the day.
Living off campus and not being within walking distance of the school requires some sort of transportation, whether that’s the bus, a bike, a moped, or a car.
This year I chose to buy a car. Even though it’s nice to be able to drive anywhere at any time, there is very little parking, and gas is very expensive.
My roommate has a moped, which is convenient because she spends little on gas and has more parking options.
SOCIAL
My favorite part about the dorms was the social aspect of it.
I had five roommates, and all of them became my best friends. We lived in the Quad Loft at Aloha Tower, which had two beds upstairs, four beds downstairs, and two bathrooms.
It was so fun to live with everyone, but it could also become a lot when six people lived in one space. With everyone having different schedules, we were always in and out at different times.
Usually, I was in different dorms talking to everyone and making new friends. It was always fun to have the option to walk down the hall and socialize with anyone who was out. There was never a dull moment while living in the dorms, there was a constant flow of friends and different events going on.
The only downside to living in the dorms was the need to follow all of the dorm rules. There was a constant eye out for anything and everything that broke student conduct. Living off campus gives you the freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want, without constant supervision.
Although it is nice not to have to report back to a RA, I do really miss the social aspect of living on campus. Now, it’s difficult to hang out with people because of work and school schedules, you have to plan ahead to get together.
Living in the dorms gave me some of my best memories and I wouldn’t have traded that experience for the world.
Follow Zorah Burress on Instagram at @zorah_burress.
