J1 Academic Program UCF, Jan - July 2008

Hi San, i think this 'experience' will be what you make of it....i'm not going to have high expectations of the course but i want to enjoy it regardless! we shall see!

x

 

Hey San,

How are you? I'm from Brussels, well actually from Ruisbroek. Where're you from? Do you speak French or Dutch? I speak both so no communication problem there
I'm leaving on the 20th. And don't worry, I think it will be a great experience. Just look on this forum, we all have the same intrests and we all be far away from our hometown. I think we'll be just fine and try to make the best of this once in a lifetime experience.

Talk to you soon !!
Sarah xxx

 

hi guys,
how are u doing? well I'm really happy to make that experience too, but also I do have high expectations for the classes, because I'm really motivated to learn hospitality management and also because of the price I don't really want to waste my time. But you are right when u said that this experience will be what you make of it, anyway I'm really looking forward to go, I can't wait longer... and to answer your question sarah, I'm from Luik, I speak french and to tell you the truth my dutch is bad, i have learned it at school but my accent is awful lol.
ok guys, i hope to see u all soon

san

 

by the way, according to the pic, I'm belgian but originally from Vietnam hehe

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Hello buddies how are you?? Hope you´ll be fine, time is going too fast, and Disney is closer, I´m so excited, it´ll be a wonderful experience....the purpose of this message is to wish you a Merry christmas and a Happy New Year, enjoy all your friends and family because we won´t see them for a while...I hope all your wishes come true. I think our lives will change next year, hope so.

Congrats

Greetings to all of you


Viva MEXICO

 

Thanks Eduardo... and a merry Christmas to you too! And everyone else!

Ben

 

Thanks Eduardo & Ben,

Merry Christmas an Happy New Year to all of you! Only a few days to go...
Anyone of you planning a goodbye party with friends and family? It just got to me that I won't be seeing them during the next 6 months...I already begun to say goodbye to some people...and I must say I'm very excited to get to Disney but saying goodbye is not an easy thing to do if you know what I mean :'(

well may all your dreams come true in this new year and see you all very soon !!!

Sarah xxx

 

merry christmas and happy new year to everyone ;D ;D ;D

 

Hi!!! I'm Nadya from Guatemala, I'm 23 years old and I'm very excited about this program...I'll work in hospitality!!!

Medardo about the insurance, I purchased mine at www.compassbenefit.com, in case u still haven't found one.

 

Wow, someone from Guatemala , that's so cool, where do u live? in guatemala city? I've been there, also in antigua, it's very nice, I've been also in Flores.

Thanks for the info about the insurance, i haven't purchased it yet.

Has anyone gotten the package or not yet?

Saludos a todos

Medardo

 

Hi Medardo,
I've just got my package on the 24th, I was so excited but when I've opened it, there was almost nothing in it. I was so disappointed. There was only something about a medical insurance that I have to subscribe to and an acknowledgement form. They also wrote that I should immediately make an appointment with the embassy but they didn't send me any forms back. Also, I haven't got my Disney look book, nor stickers, nor luggage tags, nor info about ucf or the apartments. I immediately called but they're closed until the 2nd and so is the embassy. I'm not so excited anymore....I more stressed out !!! I hope everything is going to be alright soon !!!

How've you been lately? Did you find an insurance yet? I've just started my last day at work to day that way I have 20 days to get everything right before I leave to Disney.

Happy holidays
Sarah xxx

 

Hye meduardo

I don't receive my disney package yet a,d im little anxious Is it normal ?? and you have you reveive it

 

Hi

Firstly, Good luck to all of you going in a few weeks!

I'm going on the programme in April and i'm up to submitting the DS form and certification of finances and i'm having problems.

My parents have said they will provide the bank statement and letter saying they are sponsoring me etc, but we've just been to the bank and they have said that as the account is nothing to do with me they can't provide the letter that states all the details (amount in account, name of account holder etc) and that i'm my mothers daughter

Please can anyone tell me what forms they submitted and how they got around this problem - or even what bank would do the letter???

I'm really stressing about it

xxx

 

Hi!

Have your parents (or one of them) been to the bank with you? Then it should be no problem for them to write a bank letter. If it helps you I can give you an example for both the sponsor letter and the bank letter which I sent to them.


Sponsor letter text:

I/We (name of your parents) certify that I/we will be the sponsor of (your name) for the Walt Disney World - J1A Pogram with the University of Central Florida. (Your name) is my/our daughter.
I/We hereby attest to have (amount) on my/our personal bank account.

Signature

Bank letter text:

We (name of the bank) certify that (name of your parents) has/have a bank account in our bank. The amount available on this account is at the moment of (amount availiable).
Please do not hesitate to contact us for any further information,

Yours sincerely,

(Signature and stamp)


I hope that this will help you getting the bank letter. I can't understand why your bank makes such a problem out of it...

Happy holidays
Sigrid

 

Vicki - all you need to do is get a recent bank statement of your parents that shows more than $2000. Have one of your parents sign somewhere on the statement, date it and write underneath the relationship. Example...

Signature
01-01-2008
Fred Bloggs (Father to Elliott Bloggs)

You also need to write the amount in dollars. You can go to www.xe.com to get that.

Just write like "£2000=$4000" or however much it is.

Then to supplement the bank statement all you need is to get your parents to write a short note (or write one on their behalf and get them to sign it) as norskbabe described before me.
Doesn't have to say much... just something like...

'I confirm that I, Fred Jones, father of Elliot Jones will act as a sponsor for his programme at UCF'.

Lay it out like a normal letter... date, address... all that malarchy.

I was a bit confused at first too but you don't get the bank to write the letter... you just need to supply the bank statement and include a note yourself. I didn't get any kind of letter from the bank and it wasn't a problem for me.

I think they expect you to pay the fees when you get there. You just have to do the bank statement thing so they know you have adequate funds and in the worst case scenario... if u didn't pay they could get the money because they have the bank details.

 

Hi,

I want to wish a late merry Christmas and a great new year in Orlando for all of us.
In less than a month we will all be there working for Mickey.
How much are you paying for health insurance? Mine is $544

This is the bank statement letter I used:

BANK LETTERHEAD.


DATE (Month, Day, Year)


To
Rosen College of Hospitality Management – University of Central Florida
Universal Boulevard, 9907 – Orlando
Florida, USA

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

BANK NAME, a public financial institution incorporated and existing in accordance with the laws of Brazil, hereby informs that STUDENT´S NAME/ SPONSOR´S NAME is our client since DATE WHEN THE STUDENT SIGNED UP AS A CLIENT and we know nothing to detriment of such institution.

At this date, the above referred client is able and has enough available funds to provide financial support in the amount of US$ ______ (AMOUNT AVAILABLE IN THE BANK ACCOUNT) for the course of Hospitality Management in Orlando.

This information is furnished upon request of the client and is protected by Bank Secrecy in Brazil by reason of which shall not be disclosed to third parties without previous authorization of STUDENT´S NAME/ SPONSOR´S NAME.

The letter shall not be deemed as a Bank guarantee of ours under any circumstance.

Yours faithfully,

MANAGER´S SIGNATURE
MANAGER´S NAME
MANAGER´S STAMP

 

Wow, it's been so difficult for u guys, my cart was very very simple, it says only that i have an account in the bank since the date i have it, and that i have used it properly, that's it, lol, it doesn't show any ammount or anything like that, so no worries, at least here in mexico, some banks don't give that kind of info, it supossed that it's for safety, bla bla bla. And i had no problems, because I just got my package today, and it includes:

-disney look book
-lugage tags
-mickey stickers
-a carpet with all the info about the arrival day, housing, first days over there, etc
-Forms from thr ucf
-housing policies and procedures form

i think that's it, lol, I have my interview at the embassy next friday, i hope everything is gonna be alrite, i just need the visa, and i'm done, well, i haven't purchased my insurance yet.

I'm so excited guys and girls, only 23 days to go. Wooowwwww


Saludos

Medardo

 

Hi Everybody !
My name is Lali (24), I'm from Paris,France and I will be in Orlando for the J1 Academic Program starting January 20th ! I'm so excited ! Here is my msn : lalifromparis@hotmail.com SEE YOU THERE !!!!!!!

 

Yep I'm from Guatemala city, I've been in Mexico, I went to DF, acapulco, leon, queretaro, celaya and I don't remember where else but I was little so I don't remember much but I would like to go again someday to a nice beach, what's your advice?
My advice is if you come to Guate again u should go to lake atitlan!

OOOOHHHH and I got my visaaaaa!!! I went yesterday to my interview and after that I bought my airplane ticket!!! I feel like I'm one step closeeerrrr!!!

What're u guys doing to celebrate 2008?

 

Getting the visa will be my last step too! I think if that all goes smoothly... THEN it might sink in that I am actually going haha. Something always goes wrong for me so I think I'm not convinced in myself I am going yet haha.

Welcome Lali. Nice to meet you mate! Hopefully be seeing you all soon!

As for new years... I have no plans. Sad one. Haha.

Ben