San Diego - summer 2011

Ru5ty

Hi, myself and a few friends are hoping to head to San Diego next summer. I'm just wondering what people's opinions are on San Diego as a city? Will it be easy/difficult to get a job for Irish students?

I haven't looked too much into the offers the companies (eg. USIT, go4less etc.) are giving, but would it make more economical sense to just go on a holiday visa rather than a J1 visa? From limited research, it seems that going on a holiday visa is a cheaper option.

Any help/advice from people with past experience of J1's in general, especially in San Diego, is greatly appreciated.

lil_lisa

Well of course the visa waiver program would be cheaper than the J1 visa but that depends on how long you want to go for and if you want to work while your there. If you want to spend the whole summer with no visa and not work then its going to be costly.

I spent two summers in J1s on San Diego and found it near impossible to find jobs. In saying that, there are a LOT of summer jobs to be found. You just have to arrive as early as possible. Have a read here and look for other threads on San Diego in this forum. There's a few in there.

I would recommend contacting the Irish Outreach Center for help before you go out, even within the next few months. They helped us get the only jobs we had and were more helpful than the J1 companies themselves.

cson

I cannot emphasize enough how hard it is to get a job over in the US full stop. Half the people living with me had to go home early when I went in 2009.

yourmother10

Hey!

Myself & my friend are booked to go to San Diego & cannot wait! Looks like it's going to be epic. Talked to a lot of different people who have been before & Sea World seem to employ a lot of J1-ers so fingers crossed we will get work

We booked with SAYIT as they seem to be the cheapest. As for your visa question, if you don't plan on working you don't really need the visa?

Mardy Bum

Whatever about San Diego it is not that warm of a place. Reminded me of Ireland.

lil_lisa

Mardy Bum wrote: »

Whatever about San Diego it is not that warm of a place. Reminded me of Ireland.

I'd love to go to your part of Ireland! It's been cold this year, but that means the weather ranges from 60F (16C) to 100F (38C) over the entire year instead of 70F (21C) to 110F (43C) over the entire year.

Mardy Bum

lil_lisa wrote: »

I'd love to go to your part of Ireland! It's been cold this year, but that means the weather ranges from 60F (16C) to 100F (38C) over the entire year instead of 70F (21C) to 110F (43C) over the entire year.

When is it 43C come on now? I was there in the in July for a few weeks and by god it wasnt 43...I was living in Tucson Az and thats 43C!

lil_lisa

Actually, that probably is a bit extreme, but its definitely sunnier than Ireland!

OP, I would really recommend trying to find a job before going out. Americanise your CV (resume) and have a look through craigslist every day.

Ru5ty

Cheers for the advice

thenobody

It will be impossible to get jobs in San Diego. Forget the Sea World thing - that was a few years ago. They didnt hire much this summer. I dont know why they would choose irish over the american students anyway.
It will also be hard to get accepted to rent a place - may end up scamming a landlord and living with 25-30 other irish in a two bed apartment. That seems to be standard for the students that come here.
Plus, irish students in the summer have a very very bad reputation and are generally not accepted or welcomed anymore by businesses or landlords. Blame all the rich greedy expecting an easy life ones that ruined it over the past number of years. The main reason why there is an all out ban on drinking anywhere but a bar in the city and beaches.
The student numbers were way way down this year here so that may be a positive if you are trying to do it all properly.

lil_lisa

thenobody wrote: »

Blame all the rich greedy expecting an easy life ones that ruined it over the past number of years. The main reason why there is an all out ban on drinking anywhere but a bar in the city and beaches.

This is not true. Sure there is now a ban on drinking on the beaches and in one of the most popular parks to drink in, as well as in the bay (once the only loop hole around the ban on the beach) but that is definitely not because of Irish people. One ban was put in place just a few weeks ago while another was before the summer. I really don't think San Diego overall have a bad view of Irish people. It depends on where you go and who you talk to. You can find legit places to stay who have no problem with Irish people.

thenobody

Its mostly true and the bans are from a few years ago. not recent. They led to it is all.
Of course it depends where you are and its more an issue in mission, pacific and ocean beach. But they do distinguish between the irish students and other irish people. Its the students that they realise and watch out for as the problem. Not all irish. And that is damn true, their tones do change once they realise you are not one of the students. I had to move in July and that was the experience i got everywhere.
But you're way north of San Diego in Carlsbad aint ya?! All different there.

The rich greedy students bit is true. Couldnt believe it this year when i saw numerous times and was talking to irish girls crying cos they had been here ten days and hated it cos nobody was accepting them to rent places (of course, you have no credit history or $5000 deposit to put down!) and giving out that they have not been handed a good job and they hadnt even bothered looking for some. Felt like smacking them.

lil_lisa

Nope, I'm downtown. The alcohol ban in Kate Sessions park in PB is only being put in place now and the ban in the bay only went through about 6/7 months ago.

Honestly OP, as thenobody has said, Irish students have a bad reputation but if you don't go out of control, pay your rent and don't sign year long contracts and leave early, you should be ok! I had very very few issues when I first came here.

thenobody

Yep thats true.

Ban in Kate Sessions??? Goddamn it. So thats the Paddys day party gone from next year then. But you said PB, is that not the section east of Balboa Park where her statue is? Anyway. ill leave that there. No big deal anyway.