| I've lived on the Island my entire life. Suffolk, not Nassau though.
I'm not sure where you're coming from (North Virginia?), as that will greatly influence your perception of this place, but these are some of the more important points to know when living here:
1) You'll find almost everything to be much more expensive. As in two, three, four or possibly five times what you're used to paying -- most notably at bars and the gas pump.
2) Extreme vanity is rampant.
3) The girls are hot as hell. May have something to do with #2.
4) Despite the borderline terrifying behavior habits of many of the people who you'll meet here, there are some who are actually cool and won't make you loathe the human race. Seek them out and befriend them immediately.
5) Nassau = urban/suburban sprawl. Suffolk = suburban sprawl/farmland. Both = awesome fucking beaches.
6) Splish Splash
7) Know your roads. Traffic is ubiquitous, but there's a bunch of parallel-running highways you can use to escape nasty delays that require only a 5-10 minute detour to access.
Hofstra is a good school. I've been to some insane parties around there. Its also prime location from the city. You're probably looking at about 7-9 bucks a ticket for the train -- don't quote me on that. But the real problems start when you hit the city, where you can easily burn a massive hole in your pocket if you're not smart with the $$.
You'll realize quickly that the Island is a strange place to live. There's a sort of hive mindset at work here at an intensity level I've never experienced anywhere else. Some people thrive off it and others it eats up. My biggest recommendation to you would be to not let people get you down. There's a lot of folks here who cling to that ultra-cliquey ultra-competitive high school douchebaggery and turn it into some truly cruel shit. Just laugh at those people.
And eat the food. All of it. Goddamn we make some good food here. | 