U.S. 1 Year Graduate Visa - Austin, TX

drumtarball

How's it going everyone,

After months of searching, reading and creeping on the forum I decided it was about time to write my first post! Myself and my girlfriend are moving to Austin this October on a 1 year graduate visa, and was just wondering has anyone else ever been or thinking of heading over too? After weeks of research we eventually settled on Austin, an unusual choice it seems and everyone is like "Why Austin, Texas?" when we tell them, but the more we look at it the more we're excited and 100% sure we've made the right choice! I did music technology in college, while she has a business and marketing degree, and the music, the food and just the weirdness/coolness of Austin is exactly what we are looking for.

Hopefully I've wrote this in the correct forum, just be interested to see if anyone else has been to Austin or is thinking of heading over, be good to hear from some other Irish people as it doesn't seem like it's too common a choice of place for people to head over to! Cheers.

iusedtoknow

I love Austin, it's a fun town - i get to go for SxSW for work (poor me ) and have been a couple of times just for fun.

It's pretty small but you'll never run out of things to do. It's a blob of blue in a very conservative (but overall friendly) state. Texas is unlike anywhere else in the US, it really is a state of mind.

You're going to have a blast. I haven't lived there so can't comment on general costs.

Uncle_moe

Austin is tiny so you might get bored after a while. It's really just starting to grow over the last few years. Big college town with a decent slection of night spots. Too trendy for me, its such a try hard city full of hipsters hence the slogan 'keep Austin weird'. That alone would put me off.

dealhunter1985

I'm heading to Austin on my own in a couple of weeks.
I have 10 days in total to spare.. Not sure how many days I should spend in Austin and where else I should hit up.
Any recommendations?
Looking for somewhere with some things to do as well as a bit of atmosphere about at night time.
I was considering hitting San Antonio but read its quite family oriented and sounds a little tame..
Ive read there isnt alot to Houston either..
Is Dallas worth a trip?

thanks

iusedtoknow

San Antonio feels a bit like disney, especially around the river walk. Houston is OK, and I never felt there was much to Dallas

Personally, I would hop in a car and drive to New Orleans over a couple of days, party there and push back in one day (it's around 8 hours drive)

dealhunter1985

iusedtoknow wrote: »

San Antonio feels a bit like disney, especially around the river walk. Houston is OK, and I never felt there was much to Dallas

Personally, I would hop in a car and drive to New Orleans over a couple of days, party there and push back in one day (it's around 8 hours drive)

Seems like it costs the same money to rent a car as it does to fly between Austin and New Orleans (110-140 dollars). I may just do that.

Reindeer

Uncle_moe wrote: »

Austin is tiny so you might get bored after a while. It's really just starting to grow over the last few years. Big college town with a decent slection of night spots. Too trendy for me, its such a try hard city full of hipsters hence the slogan 'keep Austin weird'. That alone would put me off.

Compared to Houston or Dallas, it may be tiny. But compared to any town in Ireland, it is quite large and expansive. The county has a million residents, and there are a lot of suburbs. There is a lot to do and see. It is my home town, and I do miss it.

Knex*

Myself and three others are moving over, on the year visa, at the end of September.

Really seems to have a lot about it, so hopefully it matches our expectations!

Reindeer

Knex. wrote: »

Myself and three others are moving over, on the year visa, at the end of September.

Really seems to have a lot about it, so hopefully it matches our expectations!

Dress for heat. Humid heat.

90sBla

Congratulations - sounds like you're going to have an amazing time there! I've been a few times for sxsw too. I was looking at doing the same 1 year visa. I just graduated and have read up a lot on it and have just 1 question. Does this visa restrict your work to just internships? My housemate is currently in California on the visa and that is one of the issues she has run in to.

quigg

Thinking of doing the grad year in USA 2017 - going on my own at moment. Anybody else thinking of doing this. Would be nice to have someone to meet up with. thanks