Transition Hawaii

Education Profiles: Exploration

College Choices

Experience is the Key to Success

Never did I imagine I'd spend three years of my life at Kapiolani Community College (KCC). In fact, I never planned to attend college in the first place! My friends confidently applied to schools on the mainland. I, on the other hand, did not bother applying. Unlike my peers, I was confident that I'd get rejected. Several of my classmates graduated with honors while I barely even made it out of high school! But, with the guidance of my strict Chinese mother, I enrolled in community college. Fortunately, the open admissions policy at KCC offered me immediate acceptance on the condition that I acquire all necessary immunization shots.

Despite a slew of criticism from relatives for attending a community college as opposed to a four-year university, I quickly found my niche in the community-like atmosphere. During my first semester, I registered for six courses. In between classes, I worked on campus at my first paying job. Friends, co-workers, and even acquaintances nicknamed me "lolo" or in plain English: crazy. Yet, I finally did something that I had never done before in high school — study.

Many students apply to prestigious colleges and universities to conform to the norm and because their parents insist they attend a well-known university to acquire a high paying career. Although attending a well-known university may improve one's chances of finding work, a career is not guaranteed upon graduation.(Read more)