As promised weeks ago, I'm creating this thread to share my own personal experiences that the first-time OC goers ( in a couple of weeks ) can relate to and make some money to support their college education. I hope that the ones who've gone to Ocean City in the past will add their personal tips and experiences to the ones who're going there for the first time.

First off, If you're in the U.S. as a college student requiring the spend around 10-18000 bucks for the college expenses ( plus other ) , you're foucked like myself and thousands of other Nepalese. I'm pretty sure that you ( just like myself ) ignored tips from other friends who had already come here. But now that you're here, you're up for an uphill task which will see you experiencing the never don before tasks over the course of next 4 years ( and beyond ).

I'm sure that most of the students falling under this catagory are pondering upon what to do now. OC, Estes Park, Virginia ( relatives ) , Texas/Minnesota ( Good colleges at prices made affordable by working a lot of hrs / Good colleges with cheaper prices ) , NYC, Boston and so on. But since this thread is meant for OC goers , I'll concentrate on OC.

Back in Spring of 2005, I was going through the same thing, same dilemma. I had to earn! Somehow, somewhere. OC was where I looked up to go. I regret my decision to board a grayhound bus as 36 hrs that it took me to get to OC were the most tiring hrs that i've spent all my life , travelling that is. Somehow, me and my friends made it to OC and we reached OC at 11 45 pm! The other fellow Nepali students who were going to allow us an overnight stay lived in 14th Street ( 14 blocks ) and none of us had any clue about the bus route!

The following week(s) were spent looking for jobs! "Are you guys hiring?" would ring on my mind even on my dreams. I felt embarassed and everytime I asked "Are you guys hiring?" , I felt patheticism! I'd return back home, late on the evening with tired legs! The apartment's setting didn't help the cause much either. 9 of us living in a 2 bed-room apartment meant that some would be sleeping on the floors, some on couches, some on beds! We were looking for more people to share the apartment with though! Sharing the 1 and 1/2 bathroom with that many guys was horrible itself. But nothing else could be done. Luckily, I found a job! Kitchen Crew in McD. Boy! Wasn't I excited! Then I found another job - A crab house. Relentless hard work, lack of sleep got me weaker. The apartment was getting messier, stinking more day after day as nobody bothered to clean. I was hating every second of it. I just couldn't wait for the summer to end. Slowly but surely my summer did end. I ended up returning back with 4400 dollars much lower than what I was expecting as I had 1800 dollars with me when I left for OC. There were tons of people who made less than me and some lucky ones who made WAY more than what I did. For some, OC was a place to be! For them , The Atlantic Ocean, The Beach, Parties, Russian Chicks ( Tons of us end up having at least one Eastern European seasonal girlfriend to satisfy the basic Human wants , I didn't ) , Ganja, Summer itself and the own "income" was more than they could've expected. Perhaps I fall below 1% of all the Nepalese who've been to O.C. who just cannot stop loathing the stay in O.C. I still hate my stay and decision to spend my summer in Ocean City till this day and I can never forget it! O.C. never felt like the place to be for me. While tons of people our ages ( yanks of course ) would be gearing up to go to bars ( seacrets on 49th )and clubs at evenings, I'd be returning and sharing the same bus with sweat and tiriness all over my body. Furthermore, the hypocritical Nepalese that I met out there doing nothing but showing off just because they came a year or so prior to me! Damn.

Anyways back to what you should be doing/shouldn't be doing.
- Don't look to stay on jobs on Fast Food restaurants ( Mcd, Taco Bell/KFC, BK ) as they cut your hours after abt a month that you get hired. If you do get hired in these places, try to make sure that you work as a cashier as I'm telling you by experience, working on an order of 20 double cheeseburgers at 2 in the morning is freaking ridiculous. A cashier won't need to work as much.
- Don't hesitate to go to Condoniums and Hotels. If you're a GREAT swimmer or well built, go to those places and ask if they're hiring and swimming pool attendants/security officers. I can still recall one of my friends who'd NEVER swum before working as a SP attendant.
- Try to apply for jobs as Front Desk Clerks on hotels/motels.
- Learn to Lie. If someone asks when your school starts, tell them that it doesn't start until the third week of september and you go to school in Ohio. ( Schools in Ohio usually dont start till october and also, your employers want to hire people who're willing to work until labor day , one of the biggest holidays in the U.S. that falls on Sept 4). I urge you to lie as there is no guarantee that you will be working on the same place all summer.
- Keep your eyes and ears open. Even if you get hired, try to look for a reliable work place where you find job security/more hrs. Anything that pays over $8.00/hr could be considered good ).
- Try to find jobs near the place where you live. Say if your apartment is in 21st street, don't go looking for jobs in 132nd street as you're gonna spend over 2 hrs EVERYDAY once the summer picks up. You won't get bus rides as the buses will be JAM packed after the summer really picks up!
- Privately owned restaurants such as Billy's Sub Shops, Layton's outlets are going to be best bets.
- If you're asked about experiences, LIE without hesitation. They're going to hire you anyways.
- Avoid looking for jobs in board walks as you're likely to get sent home early if it rains!
- If you're a girl, try to go and look for jobs on Jewellery stores, front desks ( tons of guys work as front desk clerks as well ) and restaurants ( wait staffs ). Wait staffs end up making good money depending upon the shifts!
- For the first week or so, ignore what you're offered. I mean any shift/any payment. Remember what I said before, ALWAYS KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS OPEN and always look for better.
- If someone tells you to come the following week, don't give up! If you're told to come again, don't hesitate to go again.
- Try to reduce spending. If you're a crackhead/pot head, you're likely to save over 500 dollars! Also note : Saving is the biggest income. Spend wisely , but don't be a miser!
- If you're not getting hired then don't panic. You'll get hired eventually. Meanwhile if you've got relatives/places to go to where you could get to work for 50-60 hrs a week, don't hesitate to go there.
- Look out for fun and adventure! Go out! Explore and exploit what's being offered. Russian chicks! The Ocean! The summer! Don't hesitate. Remember what Mark Twain said : "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do...so...Explore. Dream.
Discover."
- As you're already here in the U.S, you're already foucked. There's no use repenting now. You can build a good future by working your arse off ( if you got an opportunity that is ).

There are rumors concerning INS raids and so on. I wouldn't ignore it as the present Bush Government has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration. But then again, we're not illegal immigrants. Most of us work without legal working permits but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't. In all fairness, do we have an option of not working?! I have working permit and if I went to O.C. the chances of getting good jobs are pretty high, but even till this day and for the rest of my life, I shall always loathe the life in O.C. I hated it and i'll always hate it but since this is your first summer, you have limited choice. Try to make the most out of it. Hope whatever I shared helped. I urge other fellow Nepalese who've been to O.C. to share their ideas as well.

**** If asked about experience...learn to lie...as you're going to be trained ( not hired )

The one thing that I never understood is, why US Embassy grants visas to students from countries like Nepal. They know by heart that there is no way that we can afford to go to school in US without having to work here. If they are not going to let us work here, they must not issue visas to us to study. Also, at the same time, the US is benefiting from our ass-busting work, tax paying and spending most, if not all, of our earnings into the US schools. So the US has nothing but to benefit from the transaction. It’s almost like allowing the Mexicans to run through the border to get them engaged in low-paying jobs and talking about prosecuting the illegal immigrants. What percentage of Nepalese students can afford pay their schools in the US without having to work? Don’t give me bullshitt about working on-campus. We all know that working 20 hrs in school salary hardly even pays the lunch money. So Fuuk that! Work hard and do not worry about anything else. Hopefully, it pays off sometime.

First of all, would like to say that this is a good use of sajha.. something that affects most of us here in US and sharing each others experience... Thanks Balbhadra for taking this time to share your experience...
My experience at OC was nasty too. tht was the first time i went there to work and i came back with a promise tht i wont go again... i had some fun time too.. but believe me it was like hell!!!
As for tips, Balbhadara covered most of it.. but still would say, do your best.. and stay out of trouble.. three cases of nepalese in OC last year was pretty bad.. hope we wont get to hear anything like that this year.... GOOD LUCK to OC Goers....

there are local restaurents where u can work in the kitchen..those are good times...good food,good pay but real hard...
Thrashers' is cool.....ask any neplese who have workeded there before everyone will say oh ya..its good.

Excellent points that you made there Katziman. So much so that the Dept of Homeland Security has been denying the Working Permits to Nepali Students ( based upon few rejected nepali ones on my college ) off late. This is utter bullship and ridiculous. Thanks for showing the interest to all of you guys....keep them coming.

balbhadra bro,

great experience wasnt it? well i had a good one though i busted by butt off but i did enjoy life in OC.. i hated it when you generalize russian women and few nepali guys. Not everybody is like that. so guys watch out.. russian chicks are not whores for granted.. there are good ones..and dont try to touch or kiss just anybody and there you make russians think that all nepali boys are sons of bitches and horny bastards.. blablablabla...
for the new student: live clean, work hard, try to enjoy...take it easy...
guys and gals dont forget to shower at least once in couple days...
OC is indeed a great place.

Now I never said that Russian girls are whores did I? Like us, they're college students as well and are usually willing to have fun! I don't recall urging everyone to whistle at russian girls or anything similar to that!
PS Well talking abt whores and so on, OC is also known as a place where you can find whores. Russian girls have been alleged to have been fooled into prostitution ( from OC dailies ) though. Like I've said before, Saving is an income as well. Learn to spend wisely!

Hey guys, i had been to the ocean city on 2005 Summer. To me, OC did not favored that much. Guys if u r really going there to make money for yor study, try to avoid all those Gajadij n Jhyaapej who work like donkey n spends like an ass. so better try to find some roommates who r really good.

Balbhadra, WOW

That was quite a long and inspiring to all the Nepalese students who must work to pay of their tuitions and expenses.

Though I have never worked in those seasonal vacancies but while I was a college-student I was working a mostly seasonal shift, I had a propensity to get the worst hours and worst days at the coffee shop -- Usually I always closed on weekends, and usually only got one day off per five, six, seven days I work. One last summer, I felt like I was only working, even though I had about 33 hours on average a week.

Because I'd get home late (considered late for me, considering I always go to bed at 10) from closing at around 11, I'd sleep until about nine.
I find that I dread going to work and feel like I can't do anything, that I'm counting down the hours. I put a whole lot of stress and unhappiness into any service industry job I've had. And sometimes I asked myself that how do I balance feeling like all you do is work and sleep, and manage a livable life in between?

Same time I knew I was alone here, and was poor to afford hefty tuition fees from Nepal .

There is nothing I can say much than Balbhadra here but I urge all the Nepalese Students to take what you can get and pay your dues. You will have plenty of time once you are out of school for going out and having a good time. As Balbhadra said, spend wisely. Just think about the stories you will be able to tell later to other new students from Nepal in life and how proud you will be that you Worked you way through college. It will only get better once out of school.

Right now I am an ATC in DC.

DAKY

Birendra Sainik, thats a nice school, BalBhadra.

Had my friends brother enrolled there, ONCE.

DAKY

Its' true that OC life SUCKS....I hated my life in OC in 2004 and 2005 and i never went there after that..and i don't wanna go there anymore...12 people living in a 2 bedroom apartment, and 1 bathroom..THere' was no window in a room, it was all dark..Nobody knew whether its day time or night....People sleeping everwhere, on the floor, 3 people sleeping in a single bed...But Yeah OC Life Sucks. and as i have had some experiences of OC, i'll give you guys some tips as well....Though Balbhadra has mentioned most of the tips, i m just adding whatever i know beyond that.

1. The best job will be Delivering Pizza in Oceancity,if you have a car and if you have some experiece.You make hell lot of money..Like go to Domino's in West Oceancity or there's one at 84th Street.

2. Do not work in Royal Farms(gas station), you might get 30-35 hours when u start, but when they hire Russians, your hours will be like 10-18 hrs/week.

3. Look for jobs in places like, Secreats(huge club), they pay more, Most nepalese people work as a Security gard in Seacrets.....Work in a Private owned Fast Food where u can get 60-70 hours per week.. Another place is SUPER FRESH(92 street, or somewhere around there),they will pay you overtime and the work is easy..

4. if you get hired in kitchen or any other Sub/fast foods, do not start working as a GRILL master...Try finding something else inside the kitchen and stick with it...Working in a Grill sucks, when it gets busy, you'll be killed with that 500 degree Temperature..

5. Try Seven Eleven(gas station), they'll give you lots of hours and pay overtime..Try the one in 1st street or there's one somewhere around 1st or 2nd street.

6. Do not work at Princess Royale Hotel..They pay you less and the take off lotta money on tax and you get paid like 5 dollars an hour.(if you don't have any job or you're fed up,then go for it but otherwise it wont' be your good start.).

7.Go to Tubby's Sub( i m not too sure, i forgot the name i think), its on 45th street..Lots of Nepalese guys work at Tubby's, they get 60-70 hours at one place , or go to Fat Daddy's Sub shop(i think its between 1st St and Dorchester st), i know couple guys they worked there and made good money. You get 70 hours average a week in these places.and yeah motels'/hotels as a Front Desk will be cool....Easy job or as Housekeeping(you make good tips)..

Well Good Luck
Sakuni.

Seacrets * * * Correct the spelling.

NICE...for ppl going there, all the best and hope you make the necessary required funds. Am planning a visit this summer as I've never ever been there during my entire 10 year stint at the US of A. And as I said earlier in another thread, for the East Coasters, if OC does indeed have a major INS crackdown going on, try Martha's Vineyard and the whole Caped Cod region in MA. These are summer only seasonal towns where jobs are plentiful and so are double shifts. BTW, Jaws was filmed there, so stay away from the water, hai. :-)

Great points that Daky and Sakuni made! Hope that the prospective OC goers are reading this thread. Samsara, now that the students are in the U.S. they're in jeopardy and I reckon that they don't have any choice. They can't keep themselves away from O.C. and hence they wouldn't necessarily be bothered with this hype on INS crackdown on illegal workers. They're likely to be f**ked either way. By not going or by INS crackdown. Lets hope that INS finds something better to do during summer than spoil the party for O.C. goers.

Hey guys which card is good to call pokhara nepal? It's very important to call yaar.

LOL Khanal...Yopu made me crack.

DAKY

Reading the OC forum was very painful. I have been there for 2 summers and worked hard, really hard, 106 hours a week in a fashion store, was paid in cash, good money. living was painful, no doubt. for girls i would suggest to work as waitstaff/waitresses/store keeper. waitresses earns more than anything. they are paid 100 dollars a week, and have to rely on tips, but they get good tips in weekends and in night shift. store keeper in a fashion store like SUNSATIONS, PARADISE ISLAND, SUNSHINE BEACHWARE is also pretty good job for ladies as most of these outlets are run by Israelis and Nepali Managers, they will hire nepalese girl without any hassle. oc life is hard, but then what is easy in life...try to get accomodation in 7-8-9-10th street as they are spacious but slighly higher cost. Good Luck to all.

Most of my friends are going as well. You might not be able to make good money unless luck has something else for you. This whole INS crackdown is hype. There's no truth/evidence to support it!

One thing to cheer in OC ...I heared that 1st st. Korean restaurant started selling momos for Nepalis and offcourse hot eastern European chicks ;)













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