Whether having already deciding or still exploring, choosing where to go to college is arguably the hardest decision a high schooler has to make. From location, to academics, to (most importantly) the food, each college offers a unique experience that students must consider in order to find the right fit for them. MHS alumni, having already made their decision, share their experiences in colleges both in and out of state.

Hannah Gamble

C/O 2018

University of Indianapolis – Nursing

“Make sure you study a lot and don’t procrastinate on assignments. It’s much easier if you just get it done. Time management is super important as well. Main thing is to find a good group of friends and have as much fun as you can.”

Erisa Castillo

C/O 2018

Chapman University – Political Science & History

“Living in a different state away from family and friends was something I had to get used to. I learned to appreciate the little things in life, especially as a college student we take many things for granted. Living in Hawaiʻi in my opinion, is a small bubble. Although Hawaiʻi is great in many different aspects, you aren’t able to experience all that life can offer you.”

Andrew Valladeres

C/O 2017

Western Oregon University – Communication

“My classes are getting easier by the year, but it just depends on your major because your major really shows how hard and how easy your classes are and also your professor. The food at Western Oregon is honestly alright, it just depends on the person, but the only thing is Western Oregon is in the middle of nowhere and there’s no food places.”

Maya Otsu

C/O 2018

Oregon State University – Environmental Science

“It is different from high school because in high school I feel like you have a lot more support from teachers but since my school is really big, each of my lecture hall classes have 200-plus people and the professors could really care less about your education or the grade you get, it taught me to be more independent and to better manage my time.”

Madeline Turpin

C/O 2018

Seattle Pacific University – Music Therapy

“Don’t be afraid. I was terrified of college and I thought I was not smart enough. But I soon realized that college isn’t as bad as a lot of high school teachers made it out to be.”

Victor Tamayo

C/O 2018

Leeward Community College – Business Management

“You meet so much new people with different goals and ambitions. The people you meet are in different stages of their life, some people have kids, are in the army and some are fresh out of high school. I feel a lot of people look over LCC but it’s honestly so much cheaper for the same education and at least I’m not taking out student loans.”

Alexis Kelly

C/O 2018

Portland State University – Undecided

“The only difference from high school for me is now all the responsibility of getting to school and waking up and getting my homework done is on me, no one’s gonna check on me to see if I’m doing what I need to do, I have to do that. Also your teachers treat you more like a colleague than a student; all my professors so far have instructed us to call them by their first name.”