Page 110 iStudy Guide 2019/20
P. 110
110
iStudy
2019/20
As with most J-1 jobs, accommodation was organised
for me by my employer before arriving in the country.
Some employers have onsite accommodation, whilst
others will organise a student house share, home stay
or a shared apartment. I personally was assigned to live
in a homestay, which may not have been as exciting as
a student house, but I was eager to get an insight into
real American life and have someone there to assist me
with my needs. As it turned out, I was placed in a trailer
with a fellow employee called Jerry – a 75 year-old
retired policeman. On paper this sounded slightly odd,
but he turned out to be the kindest, most helpful and
generous person I could have wished for and we had
so much fun together. Oh, and the trailer park wasn’t
as ‘trashy’ as they’re pre-conceived to be – it was like
a holiday park!
ACCOMMODATION
One of my greatest fears when anticipating my trip
to the US was the possibility I would spend the
entire summer in a strange country all alone. Luckily,
the friendships came easier than I ever imagined.
Businesses that employ J-1 students are often
seasonal, and therefore hire multiple J-1 students at
once to cover the busy summer period. This was the
case for the horse-riding adventure trail company
that I worked for, who happened to employ another
British student too. We got on like a house on fire
and from the moment we met were inseparable. I
then met more J-1 students when I began working
at the hotel and as everyone there had also
travelled to a new country on their own, they were
just as keen to get to know me as I was them. I left the
US with friends for life.
MAKING FRIENDS
A J-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa granted by the United
States which allows you to work, study and train in the
US for a limited period of time; a privilege that cannot
be honoured through a tourist visa. It is granted to
those who enrol into the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program,
of which there are 14 categories, including the
Summer Work/Travel Programme, offered exclusively
to full-time degree-level university students between
the ages of 18 and 30. The J-1 visa aims to provide
an exchange of culture, whereby visitors from
participating countries can experience student/ work
life in the US and in turn, teach US citizens to be more
inclusive and understanding of other cultures.
WHAT IS A J-1 VISA?
The J-1 visa
aims to provide
an exchange
of culture
iStudy
2019/20
As with most J-1 jobs, accommodation was organised
for me by my employer before arriving in the country.
Some employers have onsite accommodation, whilst
others will organise a student house share, home stay
or a shared apartment. I personally was assigned to live
in a homestay, which may not have been as exciting as
a student house, but I was eager to get an insight into
real American life and have someone there to assist me
with my needs. As it turned out, I was placed in a trailer
with a fellow employee called Jerry – a 75 year-old
retired policeman. On paper this sounded slightly odd,
but he turned out to be the kindest, most helpful and
generous person I could have wished for and we had
so much fun together. Oh, and the trailer park wasn’t
as ‘trashy’ as they’re pre-conceived to be – it was like
a holiday park!
ACCOMMODATION
One of my greatest fears when anticipating my trip
to the US was the possibility I would spend the
entire summer in a strange country all alone. Luckily,
the friendships came easier than I ever imagined.
Businesses that employ J-1 students are often
seasonal, and therefore hire multiple J-1 students at
once to cover the busy summer period. This was the
case for the horse-riding adventure trail company
that I worked for, who happened to employ another
British student too. We got on like a house on fire
and from the moment we met were inseparable. I
then met more J-1 students when I began working
at the hotel and as everyone there had also
travelled to a new country on their own, they were
just as keen to get to know me as I was them. I left the
US with friends for life.
MAKING FRIENDS
A J-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa granted by the United
States which allows you to work, study and train in the
US for a limited period of time; a privilege that cannot
be honoured through a tourist visa. It is granted to
those who enrol into the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program,
of which there are 14 categories, including the
Summer Work/Travel Programme, offered exclusively
to full-time degree-level university students between
the ages of 18 and 30. The J-1 visa aims to provide
an exchange of culture, whereby visitors from
participating countries can experience student/ work
life in the US and in turn, teach US citizens to be more
inclusive and understanding of other cultures.
WHAT IS A J-1 VISA?
The J-1 visa
aims to provide
an exchange
of culture
