Job Discussion Forums

[drivingcats]

I'm 25 years old and tired of working in my line of work after 6 years. I really want to quit and take some time off to study foreign languages and martial arts in Thailand and China. Places that are cheap so my bankroll will last longer.

Now I'm interested in teaching english for when I start getting low on funds. I would do the TEFL course in Prague perhaps and hopefully work there or bounce around a bit.

Now my question is about completing a degree online while teaching or travelling abroad. Anyone done it? I would like to go this route so I can legally work in Japan some day. I have been researching schools and some I hear you can complete in 3 years if you work really hard. I would probably major in english since it would be of great benefit I assume while teaching since I never paid much attention in school. Is it difficult to get your course books abroad? Maybe I'm over thinking it but it would comfort me to hear from others with experience.

[spiral78]

If you are thinking to work enough to make a living in Prague, you will be hard-pressed to find time to study much as well. The job market there is quite competitive, wages are pretty much subsistence-level, and most entry-level teachers work quite long hours to make ends meet.

[jpvanderwerf2001]

Yes, doing an entire degree while abroad is definitely doable.
If I were to do it from scratch (I'm assuming you have no college credits), I would:
1) Take as many courses as possible with Clovic Community College online. It is by far the cheapest accredited American college I have ever seen;
2) After taking generals at Clovis, I would finished up at a state university, preferably one where you have residency (I'm assuming here that you're American). One cheap university I have seen is Fort Hayes State, and I don't think residency matters there.
Otherwise, I'd look into a foreign university, such as University of South Africa (UNISA).
Best of luck.

[Dilton]

I'd take a boatload of CLEPs. Those are tests that count for college credit. Study a practice book, take the proctored test at a university testing center. There are a few other similar (perfectly legitimate) shortcuts, too. Then I'd do the rest of the credits online through an accredited university. Doesn't matter so much which one, as long as it is accredited regionally (that's the gold standard). You could probably have a full degree in under two years if you worked hard. Go to the degreeinfo.com forums to get full details.

Clovis Community College, in New Mexico, is indeed cheap and good, with lots of online offerings in addition to its butt-in-seat courses.

[Gringo Greg]

I posted this on another thread: