J1 2012

colddesert

Okay so as the j1 posters have started to go up around colleges just wondering where people would recommend to do their j1? I was thinking maybe chicago! Whats the best place for nightlife, getting a job, having the craic etc. Theres a big enough group of us but everyone has heard different things about different cities so its hard to choose a destination! so where do people recommend

hogie20

We have the exact same problem, we are thinking of chicago but not too sure, our main priorities are accom, jobs, and nightlife for under 21s (we will get fake i.d's)

mpbmpb

Hey lads in the EXACT same boat . . thinking Chiacgo/ocean city wer all under 21 and just want to have the craic . . .Ocean city is meant to be good for jobs .. . and that nightlife for u21s is basically houseparties unless you go to Canada . . . Was talking to a few friends that went to Chicago this summer said it was brilliant but really strict . . .

HavingCrack

Cities that are known for being very lax on checking id's are New York and Washington DC. Use that information how you will.

As an aside, DC is easily the best city in the States in my opinion but no one will believe me .

the-waterboy

Was in Ocean City this summer would recommend it, easy to get a job, lots of Irish students, house party's every night, hot but by the sea so the brezee makes it alot better than places inland and because they rely on sessional working students there's lots of support for J1ers even free weekly meals for students in the churches and stuff. Two nice things about OC that most people dont consider before going on a J1 is that its very safe (no bad neighbourhoods or real crime) and its a holiday city everyone that you meet there is friendly and in good form cause their on holiday

Cooper1992

Wats your opinion on boston or san fransisco ?!

Duff

I was in New York last year and it was grand for i.d (although I am 22) I was only asked a handful of times for it the whole summer. Jobs are easy enough to get if you're anywhere near Manhattan. Loads of bars, cafés etc looking for summer staff. I had friends in Boston and Ocean City too and went to visit them and Boston was very strict on i.d. Ocean City was much like New York i.d-wise.

The nightlife in NY and Boston is great. From my experience they are pretty lax in NY about i.d in clubs but very strict in Boston. Never went out in Ocean City just house parties so can't comment on that.

MadYaker

Anyone have any experience of San Francisco? I have family there who can get me a job so thats not a problem but I'm just wondering what its like as a city. I've been to LA and San Diego but never San Francisco. Is it easy to find accommodation?

MiniLeanne

Hey I'm thinking of going to San Fran on j1, no one i know is going though so I'm still a bit iffy about going. Is it a stupid idea to go alone?

Folie a deux

MiniLeanne wrote: »

Hey I'm thinking of going to San Fran on j1, no one i know is going though so I'm still a bit iffy about going. Is it a stupid idea to go alone?

You should do it. I went to Chicago this summer and had an amazing time. I know going alone might seem scary right now but if you look on USIT/Go4less/SAYIT facebook account you always see other Irish people looking for room mates. Also look out for facebook groups for the destination you are going to, there was a J1 Chicago 2011 group that I joined and I met loads of people from it.

Do it and you wont regret it, honestly :P

Folie a deux

oh and for anyone wondering about Chicago. They are really strict about the drinking age, im 20 and I couldnt get in anywhere. It is an amazing city though so don't just take it off your list because they are strict about the age thing.

sara.b

I'm going it alone too for 2012! i have no idea where to go? Hawaii sounds nice n relaxed but i heard it is rly expensive.. anybody been there??

chicago isnt on the J1 USIT site? who is better to book with??

Folie a deux

https://www.j1online.ie/plan-your-j1/j1-destinations-in-the-usa/illinois

Chicago info on USIT site.

People will give you different answers to who is the best company but imo its go4less/sayit. USIT is the most popular and well known but they normally are more expensive than the other companies...

Ni Bhuachalla

hey so does anyone know with da usit offer dis week do we av to book flights now aswell? also im hopin to go to oceans city or chicago nxt summer 2012. does anyone know which place is easier to get jobs and accomodation and has the better night life?

wanderlust1

Boston is incredibly strict on ID.. Massachusetts in general seems to be.

Jobs can be hard to come by on the West Coast due to the reputation Irish students have out there for flaking out on jobs/not turning up on time etc.

Saying that, doing a J1 is a brilliant experience. I went to an island off the coast of Boston for my J1 this summer and had the time of my life. I preferred being in a place with fewer Irish students because it meant I wasn't running into someone I knew/in the same university/friend of a friend. It also meant I got to know a lot more Americans living there and European students and became quite good friends with a few!
I ended up snaring a job in an unbelievable restaurant (if you can get this, take it! tips are unreal!!) and I know that my fluency in English in comparison to the European students, and being one of the few Irish people there really helped in this. This isn't to say that places like Newport in Rhode Island, Hyannis on Cape Cod or Montauk aren't fantastic places to go. But personally, I know I had a more well rounded J1 experience as did the 3 friends I went with because we went somewhere off the beaten track.

HavingCrack

Head off the beaten track, seriously if you're really looking for a completely different US experience head to DC. The frat houses of GWU rent out room's dirt cheap during the summer months and Irish people are a massive novelty around there.

It's one of the best cities I've ever been to. Bars and restuarants packed wtih young people , some of the best Ethiopian Mexican and Indian food I've ever eaten. Coffee shops etc. crying out for staff, free entry to all the monuments and museums, 3 hours by train to New York, the Washington Nationals, Adams Morgan (street lined with about 60 bars/clubs-no exaggeration), an excellent public transport system, far cheaper than California or Boston in my experience-all in all an unreal city (in NW anyway-you do not want to go to SE :pac:)

gillen

Hi all,

Are most people going through USIT/Go4Less or doing it themselves?

I heard doing it yourself is a pain in the A*se! Is it?

CylonYoda

Hi guys,

Im working out the details for the J1 at the moment. All excited about it. Not sure where to go really or what it'll be like but I'll be going on my own. It's the fact that I'm going on my own that has my excited. People seem to be put off by the fact that they might have to go on their own.

Am I missing something so? Cause the fact that I'm heading out on my own is one of the main selling points. I'm not against meeting up with people online before hand even, it's just I don't want to know the people I'm going with, like others from college. Sounds harsh but it's all down to the experience of doing my own thing and not depending on others really.

wanderlust1

CylonYoda wrote: »

Hi guys,

Im working out the details for the J1 at the moment. All excited about it. Not sure where to go really or what it'll be like but I'll be going on my own. It's the fact that I'm going on my own that has my excited. People seem to be put off by the fact that they might have to go on their own.

Am I missing something so? Cause the fact that I'm heading out on my own is one of the main selling points. I'm not against meeting up with people online before hand even, it's just I don't want to know the people I'm going with, like others from college. Sounds harsh but it's all down to the experience of doing my own thing and not depending on others really.

You'll be fine. You won't miss out on much. I went over with 3 friends from college but I was working very different hours to them so I barely got to see them except for maybe 4/5 nights out over summer. You'll make tonnes of friends. In saying that though, it is really nice to have friends, people you know and trust, to come home to and to say good morning too etc. They're familiar faces for the very very rare time when you get a bit homesick/something happens at work/an american breaks your heart!! (which happens, trust me!)

So while, if you do plan to be entirely on your own in a place, I would still try and travel a bit 2/3 times over summer to see people you know who are J1ing in other places. While being on your own really does help you grow and gives you a new perspective on pretty much everything, it has it's lonely moments too!

CylonYoda

wanderlust1 wrote: »

You'll be fine. You won't miss out on much. I went over with 3 friends from college but I was working very different hours to them so I barely got to see them except for maybe 4/5 nights out over summer. You'll make tonnes of friends. In saying that though, it is really nice to have friends, people you know and trust, to come home to and to say good morning too etc. They're familiar faces for the very very rare time when you get a bit homesick/something happens at work/an american breaks your heart!! (which happens, trust me!)

So while, if you do plan to be entirely on your own in a place, I would still try and travel a bit 2/3 times over summer to see people you know who are J1ing in other places. While being on your own really does help you grow and gives you a new perspective on pretty much everything, it has it's lonely moments too!

Thanks for the reply. I totally get where you're coming from by having people you know close by. There'll be some others going aswell but to the complete oppostie side of the country. I reckon we might meet up somewhere along the way. Even if for a few days or so. But I'm looking forward to the whole going it all aspect as well. Either way whatever happens I bet it'll be an experience never to forget.

bobo the clown

I was in Chicago for the summer and didn't find chicago that strict on ID . Lads I lived with were underage and only certain spots wouldnt let them in but because there is so many bars you are bound to get in somewhere.

CylonYoda

What exactly are people using for i.d. Is it their passport, cause I'm guessing the garda age card wouldn't be accepted over there for obvious reasons.

HavingCrack

CylonYoda wrote: »

What exactly are people using for i.d. Is it their passport, cause I'm guessing the garda age card wouldn't be accepted over there for obvious reasons.

I used my driving licence everywhere I went and only had trouble in resort towns because of all the teenagers on holidays there etc. New Jersey is particularly bad for this and so is Cape Cod and parts of Long Island. If you were in a big city you were generally fine. New York and DC both accepted my drivers licence no questions asked, in fact in New York you're rarely asked for id anyway.

In California it's a passport or nothing and even then a lot of places are very reluctant to accept it.

CylonYoda

Hmmm, I reckon my passport would be the only i.d. I'd have that they'd accept. Doubtful I'll have my driving license before then, fingers crossed but not sure really. The thought of carrying a passport around into clubs and being afraid of losing it each time doesnt seem to appealing :L

neil.p.b

I did my j1 in Chicago and its a great city. I'm actually moving there in a few weeks. I was over 21 when i went so ID wasn't a problem for me but they are pretty strict but as someone else said there are so many bars you're bound to find somewhere that will let you in. The only problem with Chicago for a j1 is that its turned into one of the most popular destinations.

When myself and a few friends were there we got over early and the first few weeks were great. Come mid june whenever we went out we might as well have been at home. Being irish we all naturally find the cheapest places to drink! So you'd literally be surrounded by just irish whenever u were out drinking. That was the worst part to be honest, you lose the novelty of being irish which is one of the bets parts of going to the states and the everyone gets sick of us! I was actually over visiting friends for a few days this summer and i couldn't get into a couple of bars purely because i was irish!

As i said it's a great city and i had a great time there (if anyone wants and details on it feel free to pm em) but if i was doing it again i'd definitely go somewhere that wasn't one of the popular spots; Chicago, Boston, NY, San Diego, etc., you'll find it easier to get jobs/accommodation and the locals won't end up hating you!

PatrickL

Hey everyone! Thinking of heading over by myself aswell, few cities in mind but not certain where yet.

I'm studying abroad until the end of this month, and was wondering will I be at a major disadvantage only organizing my trip from January, or will it even be possible then? Any help appreciated

travelledpengy

Chicago is crazy strict on ID, I work the door here the odd week and we must ask anyone who looks under 35 for ID! I'm only 22 myself Often we have Irish people come up who are in their late 20's and expect to be let in, totally different culture here! A lot of places have stopped accepting Irish driving licenses as an acceptable form of ID, which is a balls cos passport is quite important considering your visa etc in it.

The J1ers are some chancers when it comes to IDs, during the summer one guy came up with the passport cover but glued inside was a sort of ID sheet that he printed out, not realizing I am Irish he tried to convince me that is what the Irish passport is!!

johncrombie

WHOS GOIN TO OCEAN CITY 2012??????

Me and four other guys from offaly and laois goin, wud like to share accom if people are interesrted...first time j1er so cant wait to get out there and go mad...headin out 25th may 2012...

let me know if ur interested

WoollyRedHat

travelledpengy wrote: »

Chicago is crazy strict on ID, I work the door here the odd week and we must ask anyone who looks under 35 for ID! I'm only 22 myself Often we have Irish people come up who are in their late 20's and expect to be let in, totally different culture here! A lot of places have stopped accepting Irish driving licenses as an acceptable form of ID, which is a balls cos passport is quite important considering your visa etc in it.

The J1ers are some chancers when it comes to IDs, during the summer one guy came up with the passport cover but glued inside was a sort of ID sheet that he printed out, not realizing I am Irish he tried to convince me that is what the Irish passport is!!

Is there not some kind of id that one of the J1 companies could issue, or the U.S Embassy to J1'ers who have been approved to go over to the States for the summer, to save having to bring out your passport... surely would save a lot of problems and would be official as well.

travelledpengy

Not that I have heard of anyway,

sleepyescapade

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Is there not some kind of id that one of the J1 companies could issue, or the U.S Embassy to J1'ers who have been approved to go over to the States for the summer, to save having to bring out your passport... surely would save a lot of problems and would be official as well.

Hi, Im on the 12month J1 but my suggestion is maybe look into getting a state ID card during the summer, could use that while out instead of having to bring the Irish passport. It costs about $20