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1. Can my son or daughter graduate in 4 years?

We believe so.

Many things can factor into a student’s ability to graduate in 4 years. Some of these factors may include placement into certain required classes as well as completion of prerequisite courses necessary for certain majors.

Good advising can provide an understanding of the unique situation of each student and articulate the steps and commitment required to graduate in four years. Good advising is important to us and we strongly embrace the key role it plays in helping your son or daughter reach their goals -- the ultimate being graduation.

2. Is it a bad thing if my son or daughter does not have a major?

Not necessarily. While there are certain benefits to knowing exactly what you want to do at UH Hilo, there are also many instances of students choosing a major without without fully understanding what the major can offer them.

Every student holds a unique set of possibilities. Yet as a young person, the pressure to know exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life can be daunting. We do know that there are certain benefits to exploring different majors. Sooner rather than later however, it is best to choose a major to create a pathway of purpose – one that allows the student to feel connected to their UH Hilo journey, and for that journey to be connected to their lives after graduation.

Advisors at the Advising Center specialize in helping undeclared students find a major and/or career pathway in addition to assisting current students with declared majors who may be thinking of a major change.

3. What is GPS Registration?

UH Hilo strives to increase the number of students who graduate in four years. The coursework a student completes in their first semester and beyond in college greatly impacts this goal. To help maximize student success, UH Hilo launched a new way to register for classes in Fall 2017 called the GPS Registration System. All UH Hilo students will be registering in academic courses for all of their semesters at UH Hilo based on the student's declared major. The semester's schedule will be designed to help give students the best pathway they need to receive their baccalaureate degree in four years.

4. What if my son or daughter is having trouble in their classes?

The best advice you can offer your son or daughter is to act sooner rather than later. For many different reasons, students often wait until late in the semester to address things they should have done earlier. College life and the courses they are taking can pose many different challenges that even the best high school students can find unavoidable.

Some students may feel embarrassed to ask for help. Others may have the firm belief that they just might pull off a good grade if they only spend more time studying. That may be true, but oftentimes there are other factors contributing to low performance. To address these factors, we offer several different academic support programs on campus (see below).

Meeting with an adviser may also be a good first step. Again, acting sooner rather than later, is always the best approach to take when the road begins to get a bit bumpy.

5. Are there any tutoring or other academic support services available?

There are many tutoring and support services available for our students. best of all, they are free to use.

Kilohana Academic Support Services provides tutoring services on a walk-in basis in a variety of subjects provided at their three main centers:

• Writing Center
• Math Center
• Science Center

There are also academic and support services that tailor to specific student groups:

• Kīpuka Native Hawaiian Student Center
• Student Support Services Program (SSSP)
• Pacific Islander Student Center