Job Discussion Forums

[Roentgen]

First, I just want to say I'm sorry if this seems like a stupid question! I'm just trying to get as much information as I can so please humor me.

Here's the deal. I'm going to be starting my junior year of university soon. When I get my Bachelor's I'm thinking of going abroad to teach English in East Asia. I'm really leaning towards Japan or Hong Kong, although I wouldn't mind South Korea or China. Anyway, I'm not entirely sure what I want to major in but I'm really leaning towards registered nursing.

I'm really interested in medicine but I'm also really interested in Asian culture. I don't really know what major would work with that. I was thinking of teaching in university about Asian culture, history, and so on but that sort of thing seems location based. I don't want to have to pick up and move to a state with a large Asian population just to find a job.

I'm leaning more towards nursing but I just worry that the time away teaching English will effect my skills and what I remember. I don't want to go away for 1 or 2 years and then come back, ready to be a nurse and start my career, only to realize that I hardly remember anything and need to go back to school.

I know it seems a little silly to think of planning my major around being able to teach English but its just something that I really want to experience. However, if it can't be done then it just can't be done. I won't have a cow over it. I could always travel, right?

So, finally, my questions are as follows:

Do you think it would be feasible to go teach English for a year or two if I were a nursing major, fresh out of college?

If so, in order to remember everything that I learned, would you suggest self-study while I'm away?

Or should I just forget about teaching English because all my training in university would go to waste?


Thanks for reading this long post.

[Quibby84]

Maybe you should do nursing for a year and then see what happens. Or you could be a traveling nurse. Or you could volunteer as a nurse in a foreign country for a month or so...
I started in nursing, I have all my prereqs, all I have left is clinicals if I ever decide to go back...but I cant imagine remembering enough to start clinicals right now..and I only left about a year ago.

[southofreality]

It seems you already know that it's not good to get your nursing degree and then sit on it for a couple of years without gaining any experience in the field.
You should sit down with a professor/counselor in the nursing department at your uni and discuss future options in the nursing field.

If you come to teach English for a year or two without working in the nursing field, you should be prepared to go back to school, once you get back, for at least a year, I think.

If you're young, go for it. The most you'll probably lose is a year doing refresher studies (which will benefit you, anyway).

[Roentgen]

Quibby84 - Do you have your bachelor's degree already? Are you a traveling nurse yourself or are you teaching English?

southofreality - Yeah, I was thinking I should probably ask a counselor about this. There are also nurses at my university that help with these kinds of question. I am young; I'll be 19 in March and will be 22 by the time I'm done so if I had to go back for a year it wouldn't be a big problem.


Thanks for your replies. I asked this question in the Korea boards and I got cynical responses. I think they're just bitter and want to go home lol.

[Glenski]