Job Discussion Forums

[takameanie04]

This is my first post here ever, but I have been lurking for a long while, and have noticed the general tendency towards the cynical here , so I would like to preface this post by saying that not only am I not being compensated for making it, but my employers actually don't know that I am doing so (although I'll probably tell them, because I like them =)). I should also qualify, though, that I have only been in China for around two months, now, so I'm sure I could have gotten the wrong impression. Take everything you read with a grain of salt, always.

Anyways, Xuchang University (AKA Xuchang College) is looking for a new foreign teacher to swell the ranks (for a grand total of around 8 I think?). I found when I wanted to research this University, I found very little useful information, and as well found little info on the city itself. So, I figured I would provide that info that I wish I had.

XCU has actually been really nice to me, for starters, and very trustworthy thus far. For example, my contract began on the 21st of September, but after the signing and after I had already bought my ticket, they changed the start date for the first-year students to October 9th. So, I ended up in China about 3 weeks before I started work. However, without me even asking, they said that they would of course be paying me from the 21st on, since that was what my contract stated. So, I got about 3 weeks of paid vacation to do with what I pleased. I have had nothing but good interactions thus far with the administrative side of the school, which is pretty much entirely represented by one friendly woman in her 20s named Yangyang. So, I'm not really sure about all of the horror stories I hear about at other schools, but this place seems pretty legit. They were also very helpful during my visa-application process, and have since taken care of all of the legal issues with living in the country in a timely manner.

The job itself is fairly standard for public universities, as far as I can tell. Fairly studious, but slightly shy students, and about 30-35 students per class. You are given a great deal of freedom in your teaching, although you are also given a textbook to use if you so desire, which the students also have a copy of. I personally use it about half the time. There is no set curriculum, which can be a good and a bad thing. It's more work, but it's also more interesting, and less frustrating than following a curriculum that you don't like.

The city itself is rather small by China's standards, although a good bit bigger than my hometown, so this is not a problem for me. I would guess around a million people in the actual city, with more in the surrounding countryside. There are also probably about 20 or fewer foreigners in the whole city, so if you do come, expect people to be very curious about you.

Because the city is rather small, there is not the same atmosphere of city life that you would get in a big city. This means that there is not a hugely hopping night-life for instance, although there are a few bars/clubs in the city. This isn't an issue for me, since I'm not a huge nightlife person, anyhow =). There are great restaurants around, though, and the food in general is quite delicious. But you should know that if you have a tendency to be bored if you don't have a lot of city-esque stimulation, you probably won't find it here. Also, there is not a large culture of foreigners, and so things that foreigners tend to do and enjoy are more rare here than in bigger cities.

What it also means, though, is that most of the horror stories you hear about Chinese people on places like these forums simply don't apply. My experience with Chinese people has been almost entirely overwhelmingly positive, and I have been welcomed openly and treated wonderfully. There is not a large culture of "white pricing" or price negotiating here, either, because there just aren't really any white people. To my knowledge, so far, I have not been given any different price than a local would be given. People just don't think of westerners as rich people to rip-off here.

Really, I think the city is perfect if you plan on learning some Chinese, and desire to make Chinese friends, because both of those things will inevitably happen. If you don't have any desire to learn any Chinese, you may find the city to be a bit less interesting, because not as many people have very good English as in a bigger city.

The pay will probably be about 5000RMB/month for about 15 hours of class/week, which according to these forums seems rather small. However, living in Xuchang is much different than living in a bigger city, and I would have to try very very hard to spend all of my salary for each month, and I'm not incredibly frugal. If I go out for a particularly nice dinner on the town, I may spend up to 20RMB, but typically every meal I don't cook costs around 3-6RMB (less than 1USD). Other purchases and necessities are equally cheap. So if you have a lot of debts you need to clear up quickly, it is probably not perfect for you. However, if you don't, then it is quite reasonable, as I have spent less than 1500RMB/month so far here, and the rest will be saved for traveling to the more expensive places, or for buying silly things . So, if you plan on making 15,000RMB a month, don't come here. But honestly, while I'm not exactly used to an incredibly opulent lifestyle in the US, here I feel almost embarrassingly rich. Take that for what you like.

The city is, of course, not perfect. Like most places in China, it is polluted to some degree, although it is nothing close to neighboring Zhengzhou, and is actually fairly reputed in the area to be fairly clean. It is nothing like places where you can't see the sun =). Also, it is really flat here! So if, like me, you enjoy things like rock climbing, expect to give them a brief rest while you are here.

Anyways, I have also been writing a blog about my life so far here, which has lots of pictures and whatnot, and a lot more random tidbits about what it's like to live here. You can find it at http://sinocopia.blogspot.com . If you are already in China, though, you will probably have to use a Proxy or a VPN to view it. Stupid firewall.

Feel free to direct any more questions to me that you like. Cheers.
-Jackson

[takameanie04]

Oh, and I almost forgot.

You should also know that the reason the school is looking for another teacher is that one of the teachers (another American) disappeared from here while going to HK to get his visa. He just never came back.

The other foreign teachers and I believe that he simply didn't like his life here in China, and figured he'd give it a go somewhere else. He seemed to like the middle east. He didn't speak a word of Chinese, and wasn't interested in learning any of it, and he also tended to keep to himself a lot. He had also done a recent 1-semester stint in Korea, and gave the country horrible reviews. I personally think he was rather the type that wasn't bound to be happy anywhere, but what do I know.

He didn't tell me he was planning on leaving, so there could well be other reasons that I don't know about, but that's what I've got so far.

[The Ever-changing Cleric]

[LanGuTou]

21st September is actually quite late for the start of a university contract. The norm is to pay the whole of the September salary even if the first teaching week is later.

As for the change in your start date, I expect it was because those poor freshmen were probably trudging around the campus doing military training. As this is entirely a matter outside the control of the FT, payment for this period would surely be expected.

[nickpellatt]

Good to hear you enjoying your firs taste of China. Fingers crossed it continues to go well for you. It doesnt sound too unlike my first China experience ... small city, few foreigners, few Western amenities. That tends to be the way I prefer it to be honest.

[donb2222]

My experience with my school and the city is very similar to the OP.
I am also in a very small city, by China standards, and I am very happy with the school, students, other teachers, city, etc.

Not all of us are cynical, or unhappy with our school or location.
I have met only two other foreigners in my city.
This is my second small city, and my experience as a single guy is that it can be very difficult to find a girlfriend.
That is one of the few, and a very significant, negatives that I have found so far.

[Voldermort]

[takameanie04]

[thefuzz]

Cool, nice to hear that there are still places out there in China that are not purely set-up to screw foreigners. Small town China ain't for me anymore (got a family now), but as a start it's great. Keep us posted about your experiences out there, OK? Cheers.

[Renegade_o_Funk]

[seagull]

[Renegade_o_Funk]

Another tip for geting the ladys - tell them the cafeteria food makes you sick & you dont know how to cook. Invite them to your apartment to cook for you.

[takameanie04]

Pro tip: This may seem a bit radical, but since many Chinese women (or, for that matter, women in general) are not used to being treated very well, try just actually being a decent person, and treating them as if they are, too. Maybe a bit of a stretch, but it works wonders.

[Renegade_o_Funk]

Im not quite sure what is meant by that..but sometimes you have to be aggresive, to let them know you dont want to "just be friends".

They are used to the shy, unconfident chinese boys so they may say you are too aggresive at first because it's something new to them, but belive me it's better to burn the bridge and move on if you dont want to just be friends, rather than just being in limbo for months.

Perhaps it could have blossomed into a wonderful relationship, who knows, but it's better to have tried to push the boundries and get shut down, than have not tried at all.

Im not saying you need to treat them badly, by all means treat them like a princess, but dont be afraid to go after what you want.

[takameanie04]