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Making it Work while Teaching on a University Salary
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llamapirate



Joined: 17 Mar 2015
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 12:05 pm    Post subject: Making it Work while Teaching on a University Salary Reply with quote

I'm thinking about trying to make the move to teach at a university in China. I'm fine with working in a smaller (tier 2 or 3?) city, but my question is this: assuming you make the typical university salary of about 6000 rmb, how easy is it to get privates to supplement that income and what is a typical cost of living for a smaller city? For reference as to "typical," I live in Seoul currently and save about half of my salary of 2.3 million won. I cook at home 5 nights a week and enjoy beer and pizza a few times a month.

And since someone always asks, my qualifications are a bachelor's degree in English, a state teaching certificate from the US, and a few years teaching English language arts in the US. I realize most will say to work for an international school, but i REALLY prefer having more free time over more money.
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Son of Bud Powell



Joined: 04 Mar 2015
Posts: 179
Location: Since 2003

PostPosted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 12:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Your privates will find you. If you prove to be an effective teacher, if you work at a public university or school, your FAO will put you in touch with people who need your services. Advertising for privates isn't a good idea simply for the fact that you may run afoul of the law if your FAO doesn't know about your extracurricular activities. If you make friends with adult Chinese, you'll eventually be asked to tutor their kids.

In a tier 2 or 3 city, you'll actually be able to save money on the standard pay. I wouldn't expect 6000rmb per month for a BA in a tier 2 or 3 public university, though. Count on 5000-5500rmb per month. That's still a livable wage that will allow you to save. Just be sure that utilities are paid and that your apartment is provided free and that it is PRIVATE.

Another thing to ask about is if you will live at one campus but teach at another. If you find this to be the case, decline the offer. The extra commute time is horrible (no matter how close the other campus is), especially if you have morning classes and afternoon classes at the second location. The school may tell you that it's just a short bike ride to the other campus and even provide you with a bike. Been there. Done that. A mile in freezing rain is a drag by bike, and standing in crummy winter weather waiting for a bus that may or may not arrive is not much better.

Something to make clear to your prospective employer is that you will expect to be able to save money at a bank, convert currency, and send some of it home. Though some here will swear up and down that you won't need help doing this, the truth is that unless your employer pays your income taxes, you will have a very difficult time doing much more than depositing and withdrawing money from your bank account. Been there, done that too.
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llamapirate



Joined: 17 Mar 2015
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 2:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the advice Son of Bud and Simon. That was exactly the kind of advice I was looking for and if you happen to think of any more I'd definitely appreciate it.

Also, I've been finding schools to apply to directly via their English pages using lists of Chinese universities on Wikipedia. Is that basically the suggested method if I'd rather avoid using a recruiter and have no direct leads in China?
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fpshangzhou



Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Posts: 280

PostPosted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 11:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Helllo, with your teaching cert, you might be able to work for a Chinese public school that offers an int'l program, without all the hassles and red tape that many teachers seem to be faced with back home. Not sure if they have to follow the 'common core curriculum', that's taught in public schools and int'l schools. If that's the case, that's another option to make more money, rather than the university route. I've been thinking about getting my teaching license, but the red tape and problems teaching back home has me rethinking or going the route I just discussed above.

Anyhow, look forward to hearing more on this thread

Cheers,

Aaron
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mike w



Joined: 26 May 2004
Posts: 1071
Location: Beijing building site

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 12:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

dblkhqc wrote:

Quote:
Your issue is the ability to make it as you say. Financially. Thus, with the claim of your education, your state teaching certification, and teaching English in America, what exactly is it that forced you to leave the, relatively, high paying job of being a teacher in America only to simply come to China for sub-US-poverty level type pay. Confess and give us the facts to judge what is really going on. You claim to have the exact qualifications in the US needed and yet you run off to a low tier town in a foreign Country with major issues, CHINA ... makes no sense to me.



The reasons are none of your, or anybody elses's business. Probably a better idea to butt-out unless you have something usefull to add in response to the OP.

What was your previous troll name? The name may have changed, but the format of your posts definitely hasn't.

OP - your plan sounds good. Avoid recruiters if at all possible - many recruiters in China are notorious for things like dumping teachers in a school, and then failing to rspond to any queries, or for bait-and-switch job offers.
It may take a bit of time and some research, but you are definitely better off contacting the universities directly. But even then, do your research with forums, and current teachers if possible. Not all universities are 'above-board' in their dealings with foreign teachers.
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asiannationmc



Joined: 13 Aug 2014
Posts: 1342

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 1:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
The reasons are none of your, or anybody elses's business. Probably a better idea to butt-out unless you have something usefull to add in response to the OP.

WORD!
Mr. Mike is so right
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hdeth



Joined: 20 Jan 2015
Posts: 583

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 1:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

fpshangzhou wrote:
Helllo, with your teaching cert, you might be able to work for a Chinese public school that offers an int'l program, without all the hassles and red tape that many teachers seem to be faced with back home. Not sure if they have to follow the 'common core curriculum', that's taught in public schools and int'l schools. If that's the case, that's another option to make more money, rather than the university route. I've been thinking about getting my teaching license, but the red tape and problems teaching back home has me rethinking or going the route I just discussed above.

Anyhow, look forward to hearing more on this thread

Cheers,

Aaron


They are getting rid of international programs at public schools. All the international programs are going to be private in the future. Government action strongly encouraged by owners of private schools.
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water rat



Joined: 30 Aug 2014
Posts: 1098
Location: North Antarctica

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 4:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

@llamapirate -I've never taught in a Chinese university, only high schools. While it may be more prestigious to be a university professor rather than a high school teacher, high school students are a lot more motivated and willing, while college students just want to coast - or so I hear from virtually everyone I talk to about it here in China.

As you know, many expat university teachers make only about $800 a month. If you land yourself the right situation, you can easily make twice that much as a high school teacher.
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MuscatGary



Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 4:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

water rat wrote:
As you know, many expat university teachers make only about $800 a month. If you land yourself the right situation, you can easily make twice that much as a high school teacher.


I've just been offered a uni position in Beijing on 12000 RMB pcm with 12 hours pw teaching load which seems a bit more than you're stating here. Are the universities really so different? I'm seriously considering it btw.
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llamapirate



Joined: 17 Mar 2015
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 5:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

@Water Rat: How did you find your high school job? I am open to that idea as well, but all that I have found so far are companies that contract teachers out to multiple high schools vs contracts working directly for one high school. Additionally, what are the hours like at a high school? I assumed that with the extra free time from working at a university I would hopefully be able to make up most of the extra money by doing private tutoring.
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water rat



Joined: 30 Aug 2014
Posts: 1098
Location: North Antarctica

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 7:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

llamapirate wrote:
@Water Rat: How did you find your high school job? I am open to that idea as well, but all that I have found so far are companies that contract teachers out to multiple high schools vs contracts working directly for one high school. Additionally, what are the hours like at a high school? I assumed that with the extra free time from working at a university I would hopefully be able to make up most of the extra money by doing private tutoring.
I've sent you a private message.
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water rat



Joined: 30 Aug 2014
Posts: 1098
Location: North Antarctica

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 7:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

MuscatGary wrote:
water rat wrote:
As you know, many expat university teachers make only about $800 a month. If you land yourself the right situation, you can easily make twice that much as a high school teacher.


I've just been offered a uni position in Beijing on 12000 RMB pcm with 12 hours pw teaching load which seems a bit more than you're stating here. Are the universities really so different? I'm seriously considering it btw.
I have never lived in Beijing, but I think the others are going to tell you that 12,000 isn't too much if you have to pay your own rent, and that Beijing kind of sucks, what with traffic and pollution. It could be you are given a dorm/apartment, but perhaps in some remote outskirt community with nowhere to go and nothing to do.

Anyway, you surprise me , Gary. I thought you were the man - flying around the Gulf making the big bucks. Do you really want to give all that up for readily available pork, beer and the very real possibility of dating?


Last edited by water rat on Wed Mar 25, 2015 7:30 am; edited 1 time in total
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MuscatGary



Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 7:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

water rat wrote:
MuscatGary wrote:
water rat wrote:
As you know, many expat university teachers make only about $800 a month. If you land yourself the right situation, you can easily make twice that much as a high school teacher.


I've just been offered a uni position in Beijing on 12000 RMB pcm with 12 hours pw teaching load which seems a bit more than you're stating here. Are the universities really so different? I'm seriously considering it btw.
I have never lived in Beijing, but I think the others are going to tell you that 12,000 isn't too much if you have to pay your own rent, and that Beijing kid of sucks, what with traffic and pollution. It could be you are given a dorm/apartment, but perhaps in some remote outskirt community with nowhere to go and nothing to do.

Anyway, you surprise me , Gary. I thought you were the man - flying around the Gulf making the big bucks. Do you really want to give all that up for readily available pork, beer and the very real possibility of dating?


I'm ready for a change. Money isn't as important now as it was a few years ago and living out of a suitcase isn't as much fun as people think it is.
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asiannationmc



Joined: 13 Aug 2014
Posts: 1342

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 7:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I have never lived in Beijing, but I think the others are going to tell you that 12,000 isn't too much if you have to pay your own rent, and that Beijing kind of sucks, what with traffic and pollution.


The Rat is Right. 12 K isn't to much in Beijing. I live outside the city so my cost are low, however my girl has an apartment inside the city, a modest affair and it is 6500rmb and has a horrible old grandmammy of a landlady while mine is a younger guy who works for the housing authority and received apartments as a bonus for selling family farmland to developers. I have at this point reduced my daily toil to just consultancy but seems like there is a recent demand for teachers as I have been offered almost twice what is stated here for 12-14 hrs, though not for Oral English. Pollution, the 3m mask are daily attire now, and folk are going to great lengths to buy better food, which has translated into higher prices.

Although in saying all this -"transpo" in Beijing is good although no longer cheap as they raised the prices Jan 1st and even though i didn't think much of it at the time, I am having to recharge the metro card more often now and cost such as going to Char BBQ restaurant (a costly affair on it's own) in Shunyi currently requires around 6 rmb from where I am located. (4 yuan if they travel more than six kilometers, 5 yuan for a distance of over 12 kilometers and 6 yuan for over 22 kilometers. They will have to pay one more yuan for each 20 kilometers beyond 32 kilometers.) then of cource you get the privilege of a the Black Taxi which actually will charge twice as much as a licensed cab, which none seem to be around, perhaps due to the lose of income due to the black cabs and the increased traffic. The traffic is a nightmare, and that also increases cost as the taxis charge more when waiting on the worlds largest circular parking lot called the ring roads. Not only that but the increase in cost of living and the recent crackdown on unlicensed scooters (currently to get a Jing A tag to use a scooter inside the city cost around 100,000.00RMB) has place the Nongmen (peasants) on careening two wheeled death traps carrying two or more bundled and blinded doing a dodge and weave to avoid being late in the crowed urban conditions as well as the rare appearance of a traffic policeman who if they could catch the scattering scooter scoundrels, would confiscate their silent electric assassins, and give them a ticket which would be met with a responding growl of a hungry family when the provider returned home that evening.
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water rat



Joined: 30 Aug 2014
Posts: 1098
Location: North Antarctica

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 9:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

However, Muscat Gary, you can got to some other city. The Middle Kingdom has about two dozen cites with greater populations than Chicago - to say nothing of the hundreds that are smaller than Chicago. Most are polluted, but once you're away from the coastal and industrial east, it's not so bad. Everywhere there is the aforementioned readily available pork, beer and the very real possibility of dating, plus green trees and running streams -none of which you see much of in the Middle East. You ought to come here.
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