Home

TheSinner.net

Camp America 2006

If you're panicking about anything, ask your question here and someone will be happy to help. For more serious issues you'd rather discuss in confidence, visit Student Support Services.

Camp America 2006

Postby The Penguin Of Death! on Mon Nov 28, 2005 3:56 pm

Hey

I'm thinking bout applying to do a camp-america-style thing during summer 06, but I have heard mixed reports about Camp America (the actual company)...can anyone give advice/ suggets alternate organisations that would offer that kind of program?

(bunac wont accept me apparently cos i'll only be 18 and dont have any previous camp experience)

thanks!
The Penguin Of Death!
 
Posts: 46
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Re:

Postby Cain on Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:45 pm

People think you're wierd if Camp America wasn;t the best summer of your life, ever.

I hated it, being the only counselor in my division with any work ethic (and thus the only one to sort the kids out when they acted up = automatic bad guy status). At my camp i was one of the exceptions though, but don't expect to receive much protection. remember, the kids pay the big money and are the definite priority. counsellors should be in no doubt where they are in the camp food chain (at the bottom).

It's also a bureaucratic nightmare getting anywhere with Camp America = the number of forms that you have to fill in, the way that they give you two days to do something then leave you hanging for two months before giving you another ridiculous deadline...the way that you send them a letter with 5 forms and they send a letter back saying that they lost two of them (one of them was on the relevant desk, but they never bothered to look for it)... etc etc.

I was distinctly unimpressed with it, especially considering the amount of money that you have to shell out for it.

I didn't have the summer i expected from it.

[hr]

I hold an element of surprise
I hold an element of surprise
Cain
User avatar
 
Posts: 4439
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2003 8:31 am

Re:

Postby novium on Tue Nov 29, 2005 2:49 am

man, that does sound awful. Do they just send people to random summer camps or what?

Although as to the paperwork out, I think that's inevitable... Very different thing, my JYA, but the program I went through- EAP- apparently stood for Enormous Amounts of (scary) Paperwork (that was due two weeks ago,m and did we forget to tell you that you must ALSO fill out applications for each university in addition the the ten you;'ve filled out for us?...oh, and pretty please, we'll need three copies of each application (about 70 pages, not even kidding about that)
Quoting Cain from 22:45, 28th Nov 2005
People think you're wierd if Camp America wasn;t the best summer of your life, ever.

I hated it, being the only counselor in my division with any work ethic (and thus the only one to sort the kids out when they acted up = automatic bad guy status). At my camp i was one of the exceptions though, but don't expect to receive much protection. remember, the kids pay the big money and are the definite priority. counsellors should be in no doubt where they are in the camp food chain (at the bottom).

It's also a bureaucratic nightmare getting anywhere with Camp America = the number of forms that you have to fill in, the way that they give you two days to do something then leave you hanging for two months before giving you another ridiculous deadline...the way that you send them a letter with 5 forms and they send a letter back saying that they lost two of them (one of them was on the relevant desk, but they never bothered to look for it)... etc etc.

I was distinctly unimpressed with it, especially considering the amount of money that you have to shell out for it.

I didn't have the summer i expected from it.

[hr]

I hold an element of surprise
Neither the storms of crisis, nor the breezes of ambition could ever divert him, either by hope or by fear, from the course that he had chosen
novium
User avatar
 
Posts: 2646
Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2004 10:04 pm

Re:

Postby papercutheart on Tue Nov 29, 2005 10:13 am

I was considering going on CA2006, but I don't think I can afford too, I'll make more money working here over the summer.

But anyway, my brother and his girlfriend went on Camp America a few years back. Once he'd gotten over the initial homesick hating it type feeling, he had a great time, and is still in contact with a lot of the other people from his camp.

[hr]

Image
papercutheart
 
Posts: 948
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 1:40 pm

Re:

Postby Caroline on Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:21 pm

Camp America...steer clear!

I spent the larger part of last year looking forward to spending the summer in America working in a summer comp, something I have always wanted to do...instead I ended up working in my local Spar and here is why...

Being keen to secure my place, I applied online, with my £20 deposit, in November last year (reading week to be exact). After having sent everything off, I was allocated an interviewer...this is where the fun started.

As requested by Camp America, I emailed her to organise a date for an interview. About an hour later, my email was returned. Because my interviewer's email address was an aol one, the server for some reason wouldn't accept emails from the st andrews domain! Seeing as this was the address I registered with them, I had to use it. So I emailed 'technical support', and they basically said 'try again, if it still doesn't work you are probably doing something wrong.' And guess what...it didn't work. After writing a few more emails to technical support, which were unanswered, I decided to email my interviewer from my hotmail account explaining what had happened. She didn't reply.

Next, I decided to call her, even though it said in her profile thing that she preferred to be emailed, not called. After leaving several messages on her answerphone, which went unnoticed, I eventually got a hold of her (we are coming up for Christmas now!). I explained what had happened and she said that she was very busy, but she would sort everything out and call me back within the next week or two with an interview time.

Two week came and went, as did a month, still nothing. I tried calling her again, still nothing, I emailed her, nothing. I emailed Camp America, nothing. I called Camp America..nothing. After months of banging my head against a brick will, and several automated emails from CA 'urging' me to hurry up and organise my interview...I thought my prayers had been answered when CA put a new feature on their website where you could request to change your interviewer...so I did.

My new interviewer was very efficient, so much so in that she stated in her first email to me that if I could not make the first appoinyment that she proposed then chances are I wouldn't get a place. So, missing a tutorial, off to Edinburgh I went for my interview (its about early April now). After rushing me through my interview, my interviewer enquired why I had shown an interest in working with childern with special needs. I explained that I had alot of experience in that area and found the work rewarding etc etc. She basiclly told me that I shoudn't have checked that box as lot of people 'don't like it'. I explained that I didn't have a probelm, but it fell upon deaf ears. She sent me off with my paperwork, which had to be sent to her 2 days later!! And no, she wouldn't accept special delivery.

That day and the next I rushed around gathering up all of the required paperwork and sent it off. My interviewer then emailed me continuing to complain about my interest in working with special needs kids, but eventually everything was sent off.

About a month later, I get a letter telling me that due to the fact that my application was submitted so late, I had little chance of getting a place unless I signed up for their 'fast track' program, which basically means that they ignore your entire application form and send you wherever the hell they like at a days notice, at any point over the summer, making it slightly impossible to get a summer job. Naturally I declined.

They then call me asking me the same thing, so then I explain exactly why my application was so late, and wonder why they feel the sudden need to communicate with me after six months of ignoring me. I recieved to reasonable explanation.

Needless to say, about two weeks after this I recieved my deposit back and a letter telling me that they were unable to find a place for me, most likely due to my late application...grrr!

This left me very little time to find summer work but luckily my old employers had me back. This summer I'm going on an internship so I can't apply...but if I was...BUNAC all the way!!!
Caroline
 
Posts: 54
Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2007 2:56 pm

Re:

Postby . on Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:52 pm

Look at CCUSA. They are cheaper, better, very reliable (the scottish branch anyway, but thats the only one ive been through) and very accomodating. Ive been with them twice, and dont have bad word about them. Camp America are over priced and take advantage as everyone knows who they are.
.
 

BUNAC. Do it.

Postby MadDog20/20 on Wed Nov 30, 2005 3:24 am

BUNAC offer a complete package that allows you to get a job wherever you like over the summer period (apart from childcare and medical jobs).

Most people seem to go and work in theme parks, which sounds shit to me, although I had mates that worked on the waterfront park in Santa Cruz and they had a good time.

Ive done loads and loads of these things so I have plenty of hard-won experience I am happy to share.

I'd recommend against camp america, principally because you dont get paid much. If you end up at a good camp it can be amazing but if you get a shit one it is essentially slave labour.

Ideally you wanna get yourself over to Northern California (easily the best part of the country, and I have done a damn good job of seeing the best of the rest) and see what you can find for work there. If you end up in, say, Berkeley, there are loads of cafes you can pick up work in and you can stay in frat houses for pretty cheap over the summer.

All I can say is, go for it! At the very worst if you can't find a job you can always just pack your bags and head down to mexico and party for next to nothing.

Oh yeah I would also give serious consideration to working in Canada. BUNAC run a program to go there too. Vancouver is magnificent and is almost as excellent as San Francisco (the only thing differentiating them being SF's marginally better pub scene).
I listen to feminists and all these radical gals - most of them are failures. They've blown it. Some of them have been married, but they married some Casper Milquetoast who asked permission to go to the bathroom. These women just need a man in the house. That's all they need. Most of the feminists need a man to tell them what time of day it is and to lead them home. And they blew it and they're mad at all men. Feminists hate men. They're sexist. They hate men - that's their problem. ~Jerry Falwell
MadDog20/20
 
Posts: 190
Joined: Sat May 22, 2004 10:25 pm

Re:

Postby novium on Wed Nov 30, 2005 3:32 am

santa cruz- the boardwalk?

Shady part of town, but at least the view is nice. And not as isolated as many other amusement parks.

As to northern california. You rock. Despite what I may have said on other threads. ;-)

Do you know if there are any programs like this, but that work in the other direction?

Quoting MadDog20/20 from 03:24, 30th Nov 2005
BUNAC offer a complete package that allows you to get a job wherever you like over the summer period (apart from childcare and medical jobs).

Most people seem to go and work in theme parks, which sounds shit to me, although I had mates that worked on the waterfront park in Santa Cruz and they had a good time.

Ive done loads and loads of these things so I have plenty of hard-won experience I am happy to share.

I'd recommend against camp america, principally because you dont get paid much. If you end up at a good camp it can be amazing but if you get a shit one it is essentially slave labour.

Ideally you wanna get yourself over to Northern California (easily the best part of the country, and I have done a damn good job of seeing the best of the rest) and see what you can find for work there. If you end up in, say, Berkeley, there are loads of cafes you can pick up work in and you can stay in frat houses for pretty cheap over the summer.

All I can say is, go for it! At the very worst if you can't find a job you can always just pack your bags and head down to mexico and party for next to nothing.

Oh yeah I would also give serious consideration to working in Canada. BUNAC run a program to go there too. Vancouver is magnificent and is almost as excellent as San Francisco (the only thing differentiating them being SF's marginally better pub scene).
Neither the storms of crisis, nor the breezes of ambition could ever divert him, either by hope or by fear, from the course that he had chosen
novium
User avatar
 
Posts: 2646
Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2004 10:04 pm

Re:

Postby MadDog20/20 on Wed Nov 30, 2005 5:51 pm

Quoting novium from 03:32, 30th Nov 2005
santa cruz- the boardwalk?

Do you know if there are any programs like this, but that work in the other direction?


Yep, programs such as BUNAC are student reciprocity programs, which means in principle for every student that goes to the states, one of your lot has the option of coming here. BUNAC have an american operation. Their main offices are in New York and Vancouver but they might have one in California. I can't rememberm because I never needed it. BUNAC are easily the most established outfit for organising these things. They can be pricey but the support and 'peace of mind' they offer is worth it. The only problem is if you graduated more than a year ago, you may not be elligible, but in any case it is generally easier for you to come to Britain than it is for us to go to the states.
I listen to feminists and all these radical gals - most of them are failures. They've blown it. Some of them have been married, but they married some Casper Milquetoast who asked permission to go to the bathroom. These women just need a man in the house. That's all they need. Most of the feminists need a man to tell them what time of day it is and to lead them home. And they blew it and they're mad at all men. Feminists hate men. They're sexist. They hate men - that's their problem. ~Jerry Falwell
MadDog20/20
 
Posts: 190
Joined: Sat May 22, 2004 10:25 pm

Re:

Postby MadDog20/20 on Wed Nov 30, 2005 5:54 pm

Oh yeah and northern california is definitely the greatest place in the US. And northern californian women rock so comments passed on other threads do not apply!

[hr]

I listen to feminists and all these radical gals - most of them are failures. They've blown it. Some of them have been married, but they married some Casper Milquetoast who asked permission to go to the bathroom. These women just need a man in the house. That's all they need. Most of the feminists need a man to tell them what time of day it is and to lead them home. And they blew it and they're mad at all men. Feminists hate men. They're sexist. They hate men - that's their problem. ~Jerry Falwell
I listen to feminists and all these radical gals - most of them are failures. They've blown it. Some of them have been married, but they married some Casper Milquetoast who asked permission to go to the bathroom. These women just need a man in the house. That's all they need. Most of the feminists need a man to tell them what time of day it is and to lead them home. And they blew it and they're mad at all men. Feminists hate men. They're sexist. They hate men - that's their problem. ~Jerry Falwell
MadDog20/20
 
Posts: 190
Joined: Sat May 22, 2004 10:25 pm

Re:

Postby toffee on Mon Dec 05, 2005 2:01 am

i did camp america last summer and i had an ok time.
i went to the camp america fair and talked directly to the camp director of the camp i had chosen (Camp McAlister - New York)and got a placement there and then. All was well and good then the fun with the forms starts!

it may seem like the costs are really small to begin with but dont forget to take into account the cost of getting doctors to fill medical forms and trips to london to buy Visa (quite expensive when u live in aberdeen and they dont tell u ur appointment date in enough time to get cheap tickets!) it worked out i spent $900 to get there, to put it into perspective i got paid $700 for the whole 11weeks! but hey this wasnt a job u did for the money it was a "cultural experience"!

camp itself was alright,but you work 24hrs a day. some of the kids were fantastic and some were little sh*tes! and yes i did make some good friends. when you do get a day off (once a week) you spend a fortune as u will gladly pay for a hotel just to get off camp grounds, and the weekly shoppin trips to the mall also dented the purse but got some fab clothes!

however the travelling part that comes at the end of camp was actually awesome. i spent 11 days in New York City which was absolutly amazin. loved it and cant wait to go back to the city.

tip - takes loads and loads of dosh, you need it!
toffee
 
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 6:47 pm

Re:

Postby The Penguin Of Death! on Mon Dec 05, 2005 12:25 pm

the thing is, I would really like to make some money next summer, not end up with less than when I started!


I would really love some work experience related to my degree (astrophysics), but as a first year I dont think anyone would really want to employ me! I get the feeling that work placements seem to be reserved for 2nd, 3rd & 4th year students :-(
The Penguin Of Death!
 
Posts: 46
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Re:

Postby . on Mon Dec 05, 2005 9:31 pm

If you go with CCUSA they reccomend scots go to belfast for the visa...totally worth it. Cost me £8 return, and i was in and out in 15mins compared to the hours it takes in London. They also pay you more.
.
 

Re:

Postby kate on Tue Dec 06, 2005 5:37 pm

i applied last year and, after much paperwork (they are awful at establishing any kind of sensible application system) and a very expensive last minute trip to edinburgh for an interview, i was accepted. However, i dropped out because, once i had a place set up, they contacted me with various extra costs they hadn't mentioned previously. i did the maths and worked out that, even though the camp was paying over a thousand pounds for the position, camp america would be taking that and more as fees for me, plus i was expected to sort out my own transport from new york to the camp. plus i was informed that i would be working 6/7 days on alternate weeks and 7/7 days on the other weeks, for 9 weeks straight. all in all a fairly rubbish experience, as the application process cost me around 200 pounds in the first place.

Quoting The Penguin Of Death! from 15:56, 28th Nov 2005
Hey

I'm thinking bout applying to do a camp-america-style thing during summer 06, but I have heard mixed reports about Camp America (the actual company)...can anyone give advice/ suggets alternate organisations that would offer that kind of program?

(bunac wont accept me apparently cos i'll only be 18 and dont have any previous camp experience)

thanks!
kate
 

Re:

Postby toffee on Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:47 am

i think the moral of the story is dont use
camp america!
ive been there done that, bought the t-shirt! and i would never use them again!
toffee
 
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 6:47 pm

Re:

Postby joker on Tue Dec 20, 2005 10:37 pm

i went on bunac when i was 18 and it wasn't a problem, just make sure you let them know how reponsible you are. any experience at all you have with kids (babysitting, brothers and sisters, seeing small children from a bus window) can be blown up to make your seem like mary poppins. being interested in arts and crafts, sports and group sing songs is a must.
my advice to anyone on the program is to choose a small camp, much more fun and much easier to skive off/get drunk on the odd occasions.
good luck.

[hr]

[s]fly like a mouse, run like a cushion, be the small bookcase, dare to believe.[/s]
[s]fly like a mouse, run like a cushion, be the small bookcase, dare to believe.[/s]
joker
 
Posts: 70
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2004 2:33 pm

Re:

Postby jellybean on Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:31 am

CCUSA i would say are the best company. They are cheap, and give better pocket money than bunac, and its really cool to have a scottish office.

the whole camp america experience however... well its a mixed bag for me. i went to teach horseriding in maine, i have avout 10 years experience with horses and have taught since i was about 13. i was really excited abotu the job.

turned out there were 6 of us on the riding staff, + the head of dept. 2 of us had teaching experience. 4 could ride pretty decently. one girl said when she first rode, and i quote "i cant even remember how to ride anymore." it was so frustrating cos we could bhave done so much more if everyone had been decent enough to do what we had to do. as it was the department was a shambles, the kids knew more than some of the staff!

plus the american staff at my camp were really cliquey, they called us "the internationals" the entire summer. fuck em i say. i wouldnt go back.

apply early so you dont get left with the dregs x
jellybean
 


Return to Advice Please!

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests

cron