<p>I'm an upcoming senior from Hawaii and over this past year, I've just recently decided that I want to get off this rock and go to school in the mainland for college. I feel that going to school in the mainland will give me the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and live on my own. I'm mainly looking at the west coast schools, narrowing it down to states such as Washington, Cali, and Oregon.</p>
<p>I know that most students from Hawaii stay here for college so I really wouldn't know what it's like going to school in the mainland.</p>
<p>So if there are any people from Hawaii who have gone or are currently attending school in the mainland, feel free to comment below your experience with things like college admissions, finances, housing, college life, getting used to the environment, etc. </p>
<p>Thank you! :-)</p>
<p>I lived in Hawaii for a long time (long enough to be completely baffled when I returned to the mainland), and the adjustment wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I moved to the Southeast, which was pretty drastic, but worked out well. </p>
<p>If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me:)</p>
<p>I was born in Hawaii, and then moved to California for high school and ended up staying in CA for college and grad school. If you’re going to stay on the west coast, the change really isn’t that drastic (at least, for me, it wasn’t). The further north you are, the colder it’ll get during the winter, which is something to keep in mind if you’re attached to the warm weather. My older sister went to college while we were still in Hawaii, and she went to Washington DC, which is a much more drastic change than the places you are looking at.</p>
<p>Everything else is pretty much the same as if you are any out of state student (with regards to admissions, finances, housing, etc). The only thing that was really different for me was that it got colder in the winter and it wasn’t as humid (I moved to northern California). And people may think its cool that you’re from Hawaii (be prepared for stereotypes; I have lots of fun stories of the silly things people say or think about Hawaii).</p>
<p>When I go back to visit Hawaii, though, I definitely notice how small the island is–we run into people we know everywhere. People also drive a lot slower and everyone’s a lot nicer in Hawaii =D</p>
<p>OK, my example is a little old, but anyways…</p>
<p>My husband went to a tiny high school in Big Island. Graduating class of only 17. He applied to only small LACs in the mainland to make transition easy. He ended up at Linfield College in Oregon and had a great time.</p>
<p>Oh, and don’t call the appetizers pupu in the mainland.</p>