J1 season is upon us.
As thousands of students get ready to head across the pond, we in the Her office have been reminiscing about our summers spent Stateside.
We don’t think it’s overstating things to say that it’s an experience that will change your life – and that’s something you might not be ready for.
So here are the seven things I wish I’d known before embarking on my J1.
1.You might experience culture shock
Finding somewhere to live, setting up a bank account and keeping yourself fed and watered, all the while establishing yourself as an absolute gas bitch with all your new friends can be seriously overwhelming – don’t panic. While I wouldn’t recommend being too blasé about getting your life sorted, things do have a way of working out so relax and enjoy it all.
2.You will have to ask for money from home
You’ll tell yourself you won’t, but unless you’ve a loan or a bottomless pit of cash, you will. Whether you’d like to give your family the heads up now or land it on them in July is totally up to you.
3.Your hygiene across the board will slip
How could it not? You’ll be sleeping in cramped conditions and sweating from places you didn’t know could sweat – no-one would blame you for letting things slide. One Her staffer, who shall remain nameless, lived with nine other girls who all caught pink eye from sharing make-up. This could be you.
4.You won’t wear your heels
Save your luggage space and leave the clubbing gear at home. For some mad reason, people outside of the British Isles tend not to go all out when it comes to the glam, and pretty soon you’ll get to the point where mascara and eyebrow stuff are the extent of your going out makeup. On that note, if there’s a beauty product you can’t be doing without, bring it from home. Fake tan or even spray deodorant can be hard to come across in parts of the States.
5.You’ll need to expect the unexpected
A rat might run up your leg. You boss might turn up to work drunk. You might find a poo in your shower. You might go straight to work after a night out, not having slept for two days. These are all real things that have happened on a J1. You need to be relaxed enough that having something strange happen to you won’t mess up your summer.
6. The ‘J1 Tonne’ is real
Financial constraints, laziness, poor cooking facilities and a billion new foods to try (hoagies, deep fried ice cream, calzones, Krispy Kremes) will mean your diet goes to sh*t. Just roll with it. Literally.
7.Stay away from purple 4Loko
Just take my word for it. If you have to go for any of them, try the gold one.
