THE HOTEL in Maine, which shall remain nameless, was a posh joint. It was an Al watering hole for elderly, wealthy punters who would spend the entire summer social season, months of it, in that one hotel, eating, boozing, sleeping and generally waiting to pop their clogs and shuffle off this mortal coil in their bedroom slippers.

Your correspondent, who was not a posh, Al kind of guy due to an accident of birth and insufficient funds, made his money that fateful summer by acting as a silver service waiter to Mr and Mrs Old Bag, a job he performed well apart from a tendency to sweat into the peas.

"Peas?" he would enquire gamely of some old goat, fork and spoon poised over the bowl to deliver the required legumes onto the plate.

DRIP would go a bead of sweat, exploding nicely on a pea. Old goat would look mildly ill and pass on the peas. Occasionally your correspondent would also sweat into the potatoes and carrots, just to keep them on their toes.

Of such memories are the US Student Work and Travel Programme, better known as the J1, made. Last year, 6,400 students participated in the J1 programme, up by 200 on the previous year. All of the 1996 visa places had been filled by April, so it's essential that anyone planning to travel to the US this year doesn't leave the application until the last minute. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis from February 5th, and application forms are now available.

The programme is open to all full time students aged 18 and over who have not already participated in previous years. To help those who may find the prospect of heading over to the land of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, topless bars and the dollar beer special a little daunting, USIT holds an information road show in colleges around the country for prospective J1 applicants, as well as lists of employers who have proved themselves unfazed by their Irish employees in previous years.

While USIT will try to help applicants in every way it can, a certain amount of preparation is required by applicants themselves. Principally, this entails getting sufficient funds together to enable them to travel to the US and support themselves until they find a job. The bad news is that students heading to the US this year will need to have amassed at least £900 and possibly more before they set foot on American soil.

That may seem like a lot of money. In fact, it is a lot of money and may even be more money than some students have ever amassed before. Consolation may be gained from the fact that most students clear their initial outlay, travel around the US for a while after they finish their period of work and still manage to bring home some money to tide them over for part of the next year as well as buying Statue of Liberty sunglasses, cheap denims and samples of American chocolate to prove to sceptics just how horrible it really is.

RENT IS LIKELY to be the single biggest expense encountered by most J1 students. Over 50 per cent of last years J1 students spent $200 to $400 per month on rent, while just over 30 per cent spent less than $200. The proportion paying $200 to $400 per month has increased in recent years. However, even last year almost 70 per cent of students were paying less than $300 per month. All told, it appears that average US rent costs for students are getting steeper each year.

At the top end, fewer than 5 per cent spent in excess of $800 per month; students who spend that much on rent will need to have secured regular employment as theoretical physicists, bank robbers or drug dealers.

Most Americans and significant numbers of Irish people will find it amazing that some Irish students can spend less than $50 per week on rent in the US. There are a number of reasons for this, including the fact that many students working in resorts may find that their employer is willing to provide accommodation at a nominal rate. Some 27 per cent of last year's students secured accommodation in this way, or stayed with friends or relatives.

A second reason for low rents is that Irish students in the US are often prepared to live in conditions which even Mother Teresa would describe as a bit grotty and overcrowded. An associate of mine on a J1 shared a two bedroom apartment in Boston with 13 other people, a fact that they wisely chose not to share with the landlord.

Thirteen is a bit steep. Last year the average number sharing was six. Most landlords are prepared to accept a modicum of overcrowding if the tenants are agreeable, but try not to take chances with substandard accommodation.

Students should be prepared to pay a deposit for accommodation. The average deposit last year was $130 per person, but the numbers paying in excess of $200 have been increasing in recent years. USIT recommends that students should be prepared for a minimum deposit of £200 this year.

A final point on the subject of housing: almost 40 per cent of students had arranged accommodation prior to travelling to the US last year. This is an exceptionally wise move, especially for those travelling to large cities and hoping to get a job on a "walk in" basis. About 30 per cent of last year's students took longer than one week to find a job: pounding the pavements looking for work while expensive hostel or motel accommodation eats up your savings is not an ideal situation in which to find yourself.

Most students (70 per cent) secured work within one week and many (53 per cent) ended up working in the hotel and restaurant business. The disadvantage here is that basic wages tend to be low, sometimes lower than the hourly average of $5 to $6 - but they are supplemented by tips. Those in tip prone occupations can expect to supplement their income by at least $100 per week - usually far more.

Almost 70 per cent of last year's students secured work on a "walk in" basis and 35 per cent earned more than $3,500 during their stay.

FOR MANY YEARS, USIT has been advising students not to limit themselves to the familiar east coast destinations, and slowly students are starting to pay attention.

New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts accounted for nearly 60 per cent of all final destinations last year, while Illinois and California accounted for more than 10 per cent. The west coast and mid west have remained comparatively unexploited, despite direct J1 flights to San Francisco and Chicago.

Each year, though, it seems to get harder and harder for those travelling to New York or Boston to secure work quickly. Unless you have work set up in advance, or are prepared to do fairly menial jobs, it may be best to avoid these cities.

Each year, a tiny body of students usually ends up in some Godforsaken place like Alaska, but they may have the right idea. Irish students are well regarded on the east coast but they are no longer novelties. Elsewhere in the US, your nationality may be a real selling point and Irish students' reputation as hard workers has preceded them.