Statement of the Problem The study will determine the positive and negative effects of work and travel

program in the United States for future employment. Specifically, it will seek to answers to the following questions: 1. What comes in their mind to avail the work and travel program? Whereas, there a number of internship opportunities locally. 2. What types of jobs are available? 3. How the student deal with different cultural differences and attitude from other nationalities in their place of work namely: 1.1. 1.2. 1.3. 1.4. Americans Thas Singaporeans Middle eastern

4. How will the student act if he or she does not meet the employers expectation with regards to performance in work? 5. How does the student compensate in financial undertakings since they are self supporting and only relaying in their salaries? 6. How does the student cope up with fast phasing daily life in the western world particularly in the United States? 7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of work and travel abroad program?

Work and Travel is a program providing opportunity for university student to work and live abroad for approximately three months. The program is provided by agencies of each countries participating which in this case is Thailand and United States of America.

Work and Travel is popular and well-known among university students because its fabulous advertisement saying students will be rich after working in USA. Furthermore, the program also said that students will gain work experiences, life experiences and be able to improve their English ability. And in result, many students fell for this beautiful imaginative advertisement.

For what the researcher have experienced from Work and Travel program last summer vacation, parts of the advertisement are true. It is sensible, when you work, you will be paid and of course, working with foreigners gives you experience and opportunity to improve your English. However, there are some facts you need to be prepared before attend the program, for example, will you enjoy your work and other problems that the advertisement has never mentioned.

Rumor has it; there are numbers of agencies that are irresponsible. Those agencies abandon students when they arrived the States. After that, students cannot work and they were not paid. As a result, they had to fly back to their home before time. Other examples which are commonly see, students did not enjoy their works, they were sent to work differently from what they had agreed, and they cannot work well with their colleagues. No matter what problems students had, they cannot change their jobs because it was under the agreements and contracts that they might be charged and fined if they change or quit their jobs, and if they have quitted, they have to return to their countries immediately. The solution for all these problems is to bear with their jobs.

The working wages in USA is higher. However, some students had faced thus problem when they did not receive the same rate that they had agreed, for instant, in a contract, they should be paid for 10 dollars for an hour but when they started working they only received 7 dollars per hour. Besides, students might not be able to work as much as they want or as they agreed to do, for example, they agreed to work 40 hours per week but they were hired less than 40 hours and sometimes there were no job for them due to there are small amount of customers or there are too many employees. When the advertisement said that you will gain lots of money back home, it means you have to work hard as well.

If you look on a bright side, this program also gives students lots of opportunity too. Students can make friends with foreigners and they can learn about the different of cultures. On the contrary, if students have hard time on adapting themselves with divergent cultures, as if, they cannot accept Americans life style, they cannot live apart from their families and friends for thousands of miles or they have to confront a culture shock, those three months of the program might be their hardest time for life. 2

So should we join Work and Travel program? If you are one of those who love exploring world and new experience and will to challenge yourself, this is a recommend program for you. Nevertheless, when you decide to attend this program, you should be prepared, be confidence, do not aim or expect too much and be open-minded to learn the new world. As they said When in Rome, do as the Romans do, adapting and accepting the different of American culture and social is the most important part to be successful in this program. Mistake and failure is a good lesson for everyone when you work your way through them on your own.

Foreign studies Perception and attitude of international students toward Work & Study in the UK. Alice Baines, 2007 La Sierra University, Riverside Iii