Job Discussion Forums

denises · Joined: 18 Jun 2005 Posts: 11

Im 24, love traveling, and think I would enjoy teaching (I guess Ill only find out if thats true once I start!)

My dilemna is Do I apply to the Peace Corps and request Asia (hoping I get Thailand) or apply to the Jet program teaching a year in Japan?
I have $25,000 worth of school loans and $5000 in credit cards.. Based on this information alone I am leaning towards Japan. After teaching I plan to backpack through South America and hopefully teach there or find some miraculous way to support myself Wink

Has anyone ever opted against the Peace Corps to work on their own and regretted the decision? I havent applied to the PC, but when I realized that I was most likely going to be teaching, I couldnt help but think..Hey I could be doing the same thing on my own and getting paid! ;p I know the Peace Corps looks alot better upon returning to the U.S. though.... bte, I dont plan on getting a masters or working for the federal govt after my experience.

been_there · Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 284 Location: 127.0.0.1

you are going to finish the peace corps with about $6000 in the bank. that's not going to do a lot for your debt.

You can combine peace corpse and a masters program ("Masters International") but if you're not planning on getting a masters, go do japan.

allisonkitch · Joined: 21 Mar 2005 Posts: 2

hey, I teach English in Seoul, Korea and my roommate just paid off about $30,000 in school loans(between teaching here and jobs in yachting).

Also, I had half of my peace corps app filled out when I decided to come here and teach. I have no regrets thus far(almost done with a yr. contract here).

good luck!

The_Hanged_Man · Joined: 10 Oct 2004 Posts: 224 Location: Tbilisi, Georgia

I was in Peace Corps and totally loved the experience, but there will be no way to pay your credit card debt as a volunteer (student loans are deferable). I was literally living on around $20 a month while I was in Uzbekistan. That $6000 is nice, but you can't touch it until the end of your service.

denises · Joined: 18 Jun 2005 Posts: 11

think im really leaning towards non-peace corps. Id also like to ease into teaching, and the conditions I might be teaching in the PC would most likely be very challenging at best..

through what agency/school did you work in Korea to make that much in a year!? is experience needed

nomadykaty · Joined: 03 May 2004 Posts: 60

You can always come back and do the PC after JET. The PC is more than just teaching.

denises · Joined: 18 Jun 2005 Posts: 11

can one get the same cultural immersion experience my teaching on their own in Thailand then by doing the Peace Corps (or jet japan program)?

It seems that if you are teaching every day with the students, and spending so much time in the community-you can reach some level of integration

nomadykaty · Joined: 03 May 2004 Posts: 60

Most placing in the PC are in small villages/ towns, you might be the only foreigner (Westerner) in your community. PC also provides several weeks of language training. You'll probably get more 'cultural immersion' from the PC experience than if you go on your own and teach (I use the word probably b/c this depends on the person)

been_there · Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 284 Location: 127.0.0.1

ddarko34 · Joined: 21 Mar 2005 Posts: 12

i say screw the PC. it's a guided tour for the adventurous and community service-oriented. kills the fun i say. pick a country you like, save up some cash, do some research, and fly yourself out there. life's more crazier when the gov't doesn't plan your itinerary.

The_Hanged_Man · Joined: 10 Oct 2004 Posts: 224 Location: Tbilisi, Georgia

Micro67 · Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 297 Location: HCMC, Vietnam

I say go for it. I did two years in the great state of Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia (the 67th group, hence the moniker) and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

My life now - in Vietnam - is more luxurious and I'm definitely not romanticising the brokeness that came with being in Peace Corps, but the chances of me getting to that particular spot on the globe without Peace Corps was pretty slim.

In my two years I visited over 40 islands, many of which are so small that even the biggest, most detailed map isn't aware of them. It is what you make of it and it isn't perfect, but it is completely different from my existance now.

P.S. I'd love to hear from any other RPCV's or PCV's.

StephPoet · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 26

I've debated this myself. I'm inclined to say no to the Peace Corps, for myself and for what you said you need.

The PC will always take you later. Just think, you could pay off those loans in 2 years in Korea or Japan, and not be gathering more interest. THEN if you still want to, your experience will make you a better candidate for PC. Because you've shown you are responsible. Believe it or not, many applicants to Peace Corps and even its American equivalent (Americorps) are rejected.

n&n · Joined: 15 Aug 2009 Posts: 22

The_Hanged_Man and Micro67 or anyone else who has been in the PC, what were the conditions like for you there? Was there A/C and heat in your housing? Was food provided? If so, was it better than just bologna sandwiches everyday? Did you get any vacation time? How much and often? Did your peers make it through the program alright or was there a high drop out rate? How big were your classes? What teaching materials did you have? Were the kids provided with books and games? Please tell me you didn�t have classrooms full of 30 kids and only a blackboard and some chalk.

BigGuy · Joined: 17 Sep 2007 Posts: 34

"I havent applied to the PC, but when I realized that I was most likely going to be teaching, I couldnt help but think..Hey I could be doing the same thing on my own and getting paid! ;p I know the Peace Corps looks alot better upon returning to the U.S. though.... bte, I dont plan on getting a masters or working for the federal govt after my experience.[/quote]"

Your attitude is typical of a lot people in the Peace Corps--"What's in it for me?" "How can it help my career and CV?"

Based on my experience, I'd say if you went with the Peace Corps, you'd probably have a hard time with the management, i.e. Peace Corps staff, especially the American staff, who you'd see as incompetent because they have to deal with difficult stuff that is irrelevant to you, but nonetheless very real. On the other hand, you'd be infatuated and beguiled by the local staff, who can do no wrong, because after all they are the ones you've travelled so far to see and to help.

If you were honest and shared your feelings and opinions that you have posted here with the PC recruiters at PC HQ in DC, you would not be selected. Then again, it depends on how much they've met the quota--- yeah, maybe you could slip in.

Anyway, good luck with your decision.