<p>I'm from the northeast and am hopin to attend the university of arizona next fall. I hear people out west are really different, would i be makin a mistake by goin there? would it be socialy isolating for an average dude like me?</p>
<p>I’ve never been to Arizona but I was born in raised in Southern California. In my opinion, you’ll be fine out west. The only way I could think of people being different is that they are more laid back than those of the east coast. My mom actually went from NY to SoCal for college and loved it so much she never wen’t back! Hope I helped</p>
<p>I don’t think the West Coast people isolate Easterners. If anything else, it seems like it’s the other way around! I’m from the west coast and I think you should be fine. The main difference is the dialect (depends on where you’re from) and the West Coast tends to be more laid-back about things in general.</p>
<p>Dude4545…dude-ism was BORN here. You will be fine.</p>
<p>They are still Americans. And many people in the west moved there from the east (and a few the other way around). I’ve lived in both east and west. The similarities between east coast people and west coast people are much, much greater than their differences.</p>
<p>The weather will vary a lot more than the people will.</p>
<p>I hear people out west are really different,</p>
<p>What does that even mean?</p>
<p>People in the west are generally very friendly people. The stereotype is that those in the NE are less friendly, so if that is the case, then yes, people out west are different…but in a good way. </p>
<p>(I find it amusing that some in the NE worry so much about culture shock if they go to school in the West, South, or Midwest. The shock I guess would be that you’re going to be exposed daily to some very friendly people. How shocking is that? LOL)</p>
<p>^lol, being exposed to friendly people is not the concern of those from the northeast. Also, california and Arizona aren’t really states where people are concerned. The concern usually centers around the Midwest and the South. The culture, lifestyle, ambition and general way of living is very different in the south (particularly the south east through to Texas) and the midwest (heartland, flyover, etc.). But the west coast is not something northeasterners worry too much about. While the west coast has a different culture than the east coast, the people are similar enough to where it is acceptable.</p>
<p>Do be ready for the heat, 110 is nothing in most of AZ.</p>
<p>Have you visited the University of Arizona yet? I think you are going to be happy.
You’ll need to stock up on shorts and flip-flops.</p>
<p>My first job out of college a couple decades ago involved weekly video conferences with my West Coast counter parts as well as daily phone contact. The “shock” for me:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I had to learn “Hi, how are you?” was actually a question to which someone responds and not a salutation.</p></li>
<li><p>I had to learn to slow my speech down so others could understand. (I am from the Philly-NYC corridor. We do tend to sting allwordsintoonelongword.)</p></li>
<li><p>When I had to physically travel out West, I learned that those lines painted across the road were for folks to actually walk with the right of way. This meant DO NOT try and get a head start by stepping off the curb before the light changes because cars will HALT. And friendly laid-back folks aren’t necessarily happy folks if you cause them to be in an accident.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>*The culture, lifestyle, ambition and general way of living is very different in the south (particularly the south east through to Texas) and the midwest (heartland, flyover, etc.). *</p>
<p>Actually good-sized cities with big universities all over this country are pretty homogeneous because those areas tend to have a lot of transplants. Also, good-sized cities have an influx of national companies and other interstate influences. </p>
<p>Someone who is going to a large university in the South, is not going to experience hicks-ville red-neckism. Those schools do not have administrators or profs from some rural town. At my kids’ southern university, 43% of freshmen are from OOS…students hail from all 50 states (including Alaska and Hawaii)…so quite the melting pot of states on campus unless you find regional cooking to be shocking. </p>
<p>In any state, if you venture into the more rural parts, you’re going to experience a culture that is different from “city life” and “city people”. However, going from city to city is not a big shock at all. </p>
<p>I spend my time split between the south and the west (just returned from Calif last night). Out of the last 12 weeks, I spent a total of 7 weeks in Calif…3 weeks, 1 week, 3 weeks. I don’t experience any culture shock or any oddness going back and forth on a regular basis.</p>
<p>I think you should consider it an advantage to be exposed to different types and different community cultures. People will generally be interested in those who come from farther away. I don’t think it would be isolating at all, unless you are the type who will not mix with people you perceive as different. When you are an upperdivision student, you will likely be immersed in your department and mixing with others based on interest and research.</p>
<p>Just remember, the first year can feel isolating to you no matter where the campus is. There is an adjustment to the new environment, the new roommate, the new classes. You won’t have your old network of friends and will have to build a new one, which may take time as you run into people you really click with. By sophmore year, it will all work out.</p>
<p>Arizona is not located on the coast. This is the first time I have ever heard of Arizona referred to as part of the “West Coast.”</p>
<p>We were looking at a map for one East Coast school that listed the regions their students come from. They considered the West to be everything left of the middle of the country. This OP is from the northeast, so I can see why he views it that way.</p>
<p>Yeah, Arizona isn’t exactly west coast and doesn’t subscribe to “West Coast” culture. They’re more conservative like Texas. (Think McCain and the illegal immigration law.) They also live a less extravagant more middle class lifestyle than those in California.</p>
<p>They’re more laid back than the NE, more urbane than the South and Midwest, more liberal than Texas, and a lot more conservative than California.</p>
<p>Arizona is in the Southwest, not on the West Coast. Some posters here are responding to the OP by talking about CA. Calling Arizona “West Coast” is about equivalent to calling Tennessee “East Coast.” I agree with sentimentGX4’s sentiments about AZ.</p>
<p>dude i’ve lived in arizona half my life, there’s all kinds of people out there and i think if you’re a socialable person and go out there with the right mind set, you’ll have the time of your life</p>
<p>I looked up Arizona’s region and what you’re asking for is “SouthWest” culture.</p>
<p>“West Coast” culture mainly revolves around SoCal. The guys up in San Fran have “Bay Area” culture. It’s important to know your geography.</p>