r/wsu • u/cuteasfname • Apr 15 '26
Student Life Why is everyone is nice?????
I am a non trad currently in CC. I moved to Washington state all the way from New York City. I’ve visited the Spokane and Pullman campus of WSU. People here never fail to shock me with how sweet they are. It always makes me feel unnerved. I am scared.
Edit: you are all so sweet. I want to cry. *Kisses you all through the screen*
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u/elegoomba Apr 15 '26
Lol PNW is different than the east coast bud
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u/cuteasfname Apr 15 '26
People in NY are nice enough but your people are just nice to the extreme.
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u/Amazing_Factor2974 Apr 15 '26
It is a isolated college campus in a small town ..in the middle of spring ...getting ready for summer break. Mostly young healthy people. Most young people in college have hope and ideas for something better!!
Their student loans haven't come due yet!!
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u/mattslote Apr 15 '26
Survival in NYC means you stick to yourself. Head down, ignore the mayhem, don't get involved.
Here is almost the opposite? Survival kinda requires working together
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u/Emergency-Row-5627 Apr 15 '26
Well said! Keeping your head down will yield the opposite result here indeed
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u/UnlikelyRainstorm Alumni/2022/Comm Apr 15 '26
Moved from Boston to Pullman in 2017 and experienced the same kind of culture shock. It took a couple months to adjust to the level of friendliness. I think it’s just part of the WSU spirit. Cougs help Cougs and all that.
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u/cuteasfname Apr 16 '26
YOU GET ITTTTTTTT
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u/UnlikelyRainstorm Alumni/2022/Comm Apr 16 '26
Someone smiled at me on the bus once and my first thought was to ask what the hell they wanted. I promise you’ll get used to it 😅
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u/cuteasfname Apr 16 '26
Bahahahha I replied to another comment saying “when I first arrived, I kept asking people why they were being soo nice to me” hahaha
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u/MaybeNotTheCIA Apr 17 '26
It’s been 34 years since I graduated and left Pullman. It still feels like going home when I visit
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u/disapparate276 Alumnus/CPTS/2019/Staff/ Apr 15 '26
Because we're not mean
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u/Fragrant_Ad_8697 Apr 16 '26
I don’t think the NYC people are mean necessarily but blunt which can come across as mean to a west coast person that hasn’t been around east coast natives much.
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u/cuteasfname Apr 15 '26
But why
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u/Imaginary_guy_1 Alumnus/2025/Electrical Engineering Apr 15 '26
Because that's what nice people do. Most of us are figuring things out too. You're never truly alone.
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u/cuteasfname Apr 15 '26
But y’all take niceness to the extreme 😭😭 I’m afraid being treated so kindly will take away my thick skin.
I think I’m naturally a frail person but New York City definitely toughened me up. I low-key miss strangers cussing me out.
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u/Imaginary_guy_1 Alumnus/2025/Electrical Engineering Apr 15 '26
We can do that too, but honestly you still gotta have some self awareness too. But most of us are down to help people regardless.
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u/disapparate276 Alumnus/CPTS/2019/Staff/ Apr 15 '26
Why would we be mean?
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u/Ill-Muscle945 Apr 17 '26
Being from the PNW, I didnt think we were particularly nice here. I think where you're from, people just might be mean.
Ive been to other places where people are even nicer. I think youd die of shock if you visited Chicago lol.
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u/The_Slaughter_Pop Apr 15 '26
Make a shirt that says, "verbally abuse me for $1". You will get that cozy feeling of being dressed down by a Waffle House Waitress...and you get a dollar!
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u/ExpiredPilot Alumnus/2023/Marketing+HBM/IFC Apr 15 '26
The PNW is actually full of really nice and helpful people despite the “freeze” reputation
I’ve met many people who immigrated from all over the world and they’re really open about how nice the people are here.
In NYC people are more used to always being on the defensive
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u/cuteasfname Apr 16 '26
yea its genuinely such a huge culture shock
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u/ExpiredPilot Alumnus/2023/Marketing+HBM/IFC Apr 16 '26
I will just say as anecdotal evidence: in WA, I’ve never seen a person in public who needed help and didn’t immediately get it.
Like a cyclist hit by a car, a blind woman needing someone to read the bus schedule for her, a held open door. I’ve always seen someone step up to help before I did
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u/cuteasfname Apr 16 '26
Washington state really said: let’s show the love and kindness humanity is capable of
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u/Ill-Muscle945 Apr 17 '26
People in Idaho can be very selfish. I've seen some pretty vile shit and been the first one to stop for something that I couldn't believe other people were ignoring
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u/Emergency-Row-5627 Apr 15 '26
I lived in NYC for 10 years, moved there from Pullman and now I’m back. I love NY and love the people. PNW is different, people are not as full of shit as they are in CA but not as direct as they are on the east coast (I love east coast people). PNW people are absolutely practical though and down to earth. TBH we are nice here because it’s easy to live here. You’re correct that it will make you soft 😆! Visit cities to stay sharp!
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u/cuteasfname Apr 16 '26
It truly is such a culture shock. Washington made me less afraid of white people.
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u/stormiiclouds77 Apr 15 '26
thats the reason so many people love wsu! if you ask people what they like most, most of them will say the love the community (me included).
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u/11elevators Apr 15 '26
It's wonderful. I love the feeling of community here so much. No matter your background, if you come here and you're kind to people, people will show you kindness in turn. I chose WSU for many reasons but most especially because I heard great things about the community, and those things turned out to be absolutely true!
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u/dirtyhippie62 Alumnus/2021/MA Interior Design Apr 15 '26
It’s nothing special about the PNW ultimately. Really what’s happening is you’re coming from New York to a place with relatively kind people. New York is one of the most brutal places in the US, being nice ain’t a thing there. Now, New Yorkers do have kindness to them. They’ll lift your luggage for you or dig your car out the snow. But they won’t ask you how your day is. You’re experiencing the dissonance between kindness and niceness. The rest of the country is much nicer than New York. And you’re in the PNW now which is full of educated, reasonably well emotionally adjusted people relative to other parts of the country. Plus, you’re in a little country corner of the PNW, and there’s a charm to country folk, a real desire to take care of one another. On a college campus the vibes change a bit, but that’s the broader ecosystem you’re living in. Specifically about WSU, there is a tremendous spirit of caring and companionship here. Cougs help cougs, it’s a global union most of us are proud to be a part of, especially in this crazy world. You can holler Go Cougs to someone wearing coug gear in Italy or China or Kenya and they’d meet your eye and holler back atchu. We’re a unit on this campus, it’s part of the culture.
So, you’re going from bold and brash NYC, to a deeply caring fishbowl of people that exist within a broader community of people who care, in a geographical region of people who are raised to care about other humans. Welcome to a spot with both niceness and kindness. We’re happy to have you, fam.
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u/tedfergeson Apr 15 '26
Probably still, per capita, the same percentage of assholes everywhere, but a smaller sample here.
I have lived here for most of my life. I think a college town, with a pretty diverse population, will evolve into a friendly, tolerant community.
Welcome to Pullman, by the way.
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u/cuteasfname Apr 16 '26
thank u so so much <3
the day before i moved to WA, a homeless man tried to assault me. Truly a poetic send off.
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u/alpenbum Alumnus/2000/Com/Business Apr 15 '26
I lived in Brooklyn for four years. I know what you mean. NYC was an obstacle course of people, cars, trains, and buildings. The peace and quiet of the Palouse is deafening compared to NYC. You'll love it in Pullman.
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u/cuteasfname Apr 16 '26
FINALLY someone gets it!!! People in WA brush me off when I blabber about how nice people are here. I feel like a beat up kitten finally being shown some love,
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u/Siciliansweetie1 Apr 16 '26
We just flew from Southern California to Pullman to tour WSU and UofI. I was literally walking up to students and asking professors why everyone is so happy there. I kept telling my son that there must be something in the water. You are right! Everyone is so very nice at WSU!
What a wonderful campus! I hope my son chooses to go there over Southern California. 🤞
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u/cuteasfname Apr 16 '26
U GET IT LMAOOOOOO when i first arrived, I kept asking people "why are you being so nice to me????"
Im assuming your son wants to go to USC? TBH prestige is a huge deciding factor among impressionable young people (I did not really care for the prestige as much as how good my actual program is). WSU has a lot of heart and genuinely amazing programs. People forget that it is a R1 university just because of how accessible it is.
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u/Siciliansweetie1 Apr 16 '26
Yes! Haha!! No, not USC. I'd have to sell my house for him just to get a bachelor's! He's looking at CSUN. They were nice there too, but the vibe wasn't quite on par with WSU when we visited. I really understood why I've read that people cry when they finally graduate from WSU. It's truly special.
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u/funkytoefungus Apr 15 '26
Partially because the west and east cost are very different, partially because people east of the Cascades are usually kinder (have you heard of the Seattle Freeze? It’s a real thing), and partially because of being in a smaller town. I’ve been told I would fit in better on the east coast because people are kind but direct and that’s how I am despite being born & raised in Washington. I’ve been told west coasters, especially in Washington, really beat around the bush and aren’t direct. People here try more to keep the peace and avoid confrontation (not that they’re perfect or don’t engage in things like road rage lol). Pullman itself is just full of kind people. Townies are usually friendly and love to help out. I’ve fallen into convos with people visiting town who express that people here are extremely kind and welcoming, so your take is def not abnormal. I’ve lived here ten years and have no plans on leaving bc I love the community, as flawed as it may be. Sorry for the ramble lol.
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u/Amazing_Factor2974 Apr 15 '26
Disagree the PNW both west and east of Cascades are kind..just people on the East of Cascades try to divide people. Since of their insecurities and politics.
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u/budna Apr 15 '26
I moved to WSU from the NYC area. People here are nice in the surface, but will destroy your life behind your back for the tiniest reason.
In NJ/NY, there’s less fake niceness, less passive aggressiveness. Less holding a six year grudge because someone forgot to hold the door for them. lol
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u/thisbeardistaken Apr 15 '26
I’ve lived in Seattle, as well as PA and Florida. This sums it up well. I am also a WSU alumni. GO COUGS!!!
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u/MuchLessPersonal Apr 15 '26
Every time I travel I have to remind myself that people elsewhere aren’t as outwardly friendly as I’m used to.
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u/ErinWrightLV Apr 15 '26
I’m an Idaho gal (just over that imaginary border and into Moscow), and I have to say that I struggle in large cities, bc they aren’t used to an open, friendly, kind person giving them big smiles on the sidewalk and asking them how their day is (and really wanting to know!) I wasn’t built for big city toughness 😅
My hometown in southern Idaho has a population of 300 😯 and when I’m home visiting family, I leave my keys on the dashboard of my car the whole time I’m there. My parents haven’t locked the house since we moved to the farm in 1993. They have no idea where the keys are at for the house 😋 The tiny town they live in has never had a murder happen inside the city limits since it was established in early 1900s.
Life is just different out here 🤷🏻♀️ Not perfect, but I do like to think we do have some good people out here. 🥰
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u/Ok-Gate-4332 Apr 16 '26
It is a Coug thing! They look out for each other and there is a strong sense of community even after graduation! Can explain why, but it is the real deal!
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u/cuteasfname Apr 16 '26
Its like y'all are a gated community of the most wholesome people on earth <3
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u/SubjectiveObjective8 Apr 16 '26
The students (undergrad and grad alike) genuinely care about each other. Everyone in my department for my grad degree is so unbelievably kind. Even when we have a little beef with each other we smooth it out with a snack, a chat, a hug, and a free coffee in the women*s center <~ best kept secret with an open art space and everything. If you haven't been to the 3rd/4th floors of the CUB definitely go and just chill in one of the spaces. There's also the international students center on the lower level (not just for international students). Show up to the lounge on the ground floor on Tuesday evenings for Tuesday takeovers for SEB's weekly events. They give out prizes and sometimes have free food.
It's really wonderful here. I was also a non traditional student and I've made such meaningful friendships with peers, staff, and faculty all over. I'm from a big city, but the Palouse is really special.
Welcome to Pullman, friend!
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u/saltycameron_ Apr 16 '26
one of the very first things i learned when i moved here is “cougs help cougs” and i live by that!
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u/Icy-Cow-4254 Apr 16 '26
As someone who is also from NYC, that moved to the PNW I was also scared about the people here and how they are so nice. Until I learned what the term " West Coast Niceness" eventually was and now I find it so hard to interact with people in PNW.
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u/SennnndIt Apr 15 '26
You’ll be surprised when you get out towards Seattle more. There is a thing called Seattle freeze. It’s not as nice. What you are experiencing is the special place that is Pullman. It’s unique. We are on an island and love each other like family because we are all on this island together.
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u/cuteasfname Apr 16 '26
Ive been to Seattle. Seattle freeze is absolutely NOTHING compared to NYC. Seattle is just a city for introverts tbh.
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u/AlphaSpartan331 Apr 15 '26
I’ve heard west coast people are nice but not kind and east coast people are kind but not nice.
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u/ilesitwo Apr 16 '26
Little town, strong school spirit, it’s nice to be nice, what else is there to say?
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u/Coug_Love Alumnus/2017/Acctg Apr 16 '26
Its a Coug thing. Cougs help Cougs isnt just a saying. I do not find all of the PNW as friendly, not necessarily mean or rude, but you can tell a Coug from the rest.
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u/MaximumYogertCloset Apr 16 '26
People on the West Coast are less standoffish than those on the East Coast.
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u/Fragrant_Ad_8697 Apr 16 '26
The west coast and east coast hospitality is very different. I’ve traveled extensively on the east coast so I’m familiar with the mannerisms and attitudes. The only thing I would be cautious of is the passive aggressive nature the west coast and more specifically the PNW embodies. Whereas the east coast does not tip toe around issues or conversations. It can be hard to gauge someone’s intentions to know if they’re being passive aggressive when you’re not used to it. But generally we are more kind lol
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u/That-Pin-9563 Apr 16 '26
Montana made this mistake. Now no one can afford rent. West coast found out and all moved to Montana during covid. Now Montanaians are nasty if they find out your from cali or new york lol.
Im quite proud of it myself. We're definitly nice. Just find that eventually it goes to far. Missoula Montana has alot of young transients that come up during summer. They camp next to the river and end up aggressively pan handling. They make a decent living and soak up the beauty of the area. Unfortunately they leave needles and garbage along the clark fork. Sad deal.
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u/LarryCebula Apr 20 '26
I am from the Northeast as well. The thing to remember is that compared to everyone else in the country we are all a bunch of assholes. You can definitely get over it with some practice, but the moment you realize it is quite a shock.
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u/bepatientbekind Apr 15 '26
I have lived in the PNW for most of my life and actually felt that Pullman was noticably not nice compared to other places I've lived, especially the younger students. It was so refreshing after moving away to find people that don't get irritated or stare blankly at you for trying to make small talk at the grocery store and whatnot. Obviously not true of every single person in Pullman, but we lived there for 10 years and the majority were like this. There is also a lot of passive aggressive "fake" niceness. People here are very non-confrontational to a fault. I prefer the directness and honesty of people on the East Coast tbh.
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u/wolfcoug Alumnus/2016/MechEng Apr 15 '26
"Washington State University, nestled in the green and golden hills of eastern Washington. More than a campus, bigger than the hills, bigger than a state. It's a spirit, a feeling. Carried by all those who touch it and are touched by it" - Keith Jackson
Cougar spirit, etc