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coler651
Joined: 24 Jul 2007
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 Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:13 pm Post subject: Leaving my Home behind |
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| Going to Korea to teach English is all I have thought about for quite awhile now. I have done the research, talked to recruiters, and have decided that I would really like to experience teaching in Korea for a year. However, theres also another side of it. I get a lot of pressue from family and a significant other that this really isn't something that I should be doing. That I should be finding a "real job" and not putting off the inevitable "Real World", whatever that entails. However I feel like Korea would be the best thing for me right now because it offers a chance of lifetime; to experience Asian culture, make good money, travel, and a chance to escape the mundane and predictable. However, I also do have my doubts and the pressure that I get from some people really has made this an awfully hard decision to make. I know this is my life and I should choose how to live it, but I can not help but think of others opinions and everything else that comes along with such a life changing decision. Has anyone else felt like this and how have you finally realized Korea and made the decision to do whats right for yourself |
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PeteJB
Joined: 06 Jul 2007
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Maybe its your family and friends who haven't discovered what the real world actually is. I think this is very common among families who live in a bubble (deadend jobs and stable lifes, but not really doing what you want in life) especially mine. |
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Atavistic
Joined: 22 May 2006
Location: How totally stupid that Korean doesn't show in this area.
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:05 pm Post subject: Re: Leaving my Home behind |
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| coler651 wrote: |
| Has anyone else felt like this and how have you finally realized Korea and made the decision to do whats right for yourself |
Act like an adult and quit asking everyone else for their permission. Just do it. |
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Tony_Balony
Joined: 12 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Maybe its your family and friends who haven't discovered what the real world actually is. I think this is very common among families who live in a bubble (deadend jobs and stable lifes, but not really doing what you want in life) especially mine. |
Teaching English in Korea is a dead end job. |
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browneyedgirl
Joined: 17 Jul 2007
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:22 pm Post subject: Re: Leaving my Home behind |
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| coler651 wrote: |
| Going to Korea to teach English is all I have thought about for quite awhile now. I have done the research, talked to recruiters, and have decided that I would really like to experience teaching in Korea for a year. However, theres also another side of it. I get a lot of pressue from family and a significant other that this really isn't something that I should be doing. That I should be finding a "real job" and not putting off the inevitable "Real World", whatever that entails. However I feel like Korea would be the best thing for me right now because it offers a chance of lifetime; to experience Asian culture, make good money, travel, and a chance to escape the mundane and predictable. However, I also do have my doubts and the pressure that I get from some people really has made this an awfully hard decision to make. I know this is my life and I should choose how to live it, but I can not help but think of others opinions and everything else that comes along with such a life changing decision. Has anyone else felt like this and how have you finally realized Korea and made the decision to do whats right for yourself |
If you don't go you might regret it later. Even if Korea isn't that great, it's only a year out of your life. You'll still get that experience out of the way, and you can always go home.
Last edited by browneyedgirl on Sat Aug 11, 2007 1:08 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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blaseblasphemener
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Location: There's a voice, keeps on calling me, down the road, that's where I'll always be
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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Have any of the people who are giving you advice, actually worked abroad? If they had, I doubt they would be giving you that advice.
I took 5 minutes to decide to come here, and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Don't over-think it. It's just one year. |
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alwaysfaithless
Joined: 22 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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Has anyone else felt like this and how have you finally realized Korea and made the decision to do whats right for yourself
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I drugged myself a week before making my decision. By the time the drugs wore off, I was sitting in a classroom full of Korean school children. Ok, joking....But, as long as you settle things at home, make sure you have everything in order, get on the plane and come on over. A year goes by fast. Most of us have thought long and hard before we finally made the decision to teach in South Korea. |
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Tony_Balony
Joined: 12 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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| You can make your time here worth while by knocking up girl first or by charging up your credit cards. They can't chase you while you are here. |
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Tony_Balony
Joined: 12 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Korea is a good place to escape diversity and subsequent headaches. I will always thank the koreans for that. I Newark NJ an illegal immgrant Latino shot 4 African Americans much like Nazis did to the Jews. Thats not the first time it happend either, nor will it be the last. Thank you Korea, you are truly a fine people. Don't change one bit. |
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SuperFly
Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Location: In the doghouse
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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OP, you think you got it bad eh?
My wife (Korean) and I (cracker whitey) had pretty good jobs back in Arizona (We lived in the U.S. for eight years after meeting in Korea). We missed Korea for a variety of reasons so we came back.
I work for a huge Korean company doing something I love (not teaching thank god) and my wife who is older now - 32 (Koreans have this thing about age), after nine months of searching, can't find a decent job in the shipping industry here in Korea. Her old company back in the states (Huge Korean shipping lines) asked her to come back at her old salary and job. She really misses Phoenix and her Kgal girlfriends.
In a few weeks she'll be going back to the states and I'll be staying on here by myself for at least a few more years...my contract is for two years, and it could be extended another two years.
Is man meant to suffer? I don't know, but these days I welcome challenges rather than take the safe route...it's more fun this way. |
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bosintang
Joined: 01 Dec 2003
Location: In the pot with the rest of the mutts
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:58 pm Post subject: |
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| SuperFly wrote: |
In a few weeks she'll be going back to the states and I'll be staying on here by myself for at least a few more years...my contract is for two years, and it could be extended another two years.
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There's something extremely ironic about this. Your K-girlfriend is in the States and you are in Korea! Oh how the tables turn...
OP: You're an adult. Make a decision. I'd say keep in mind a couple of things: A year is a *short* time. It generally takes longer than a year to feel a place out, get better jobs, and you may also want to stay longer so you can take advantage of travel opportunities.
A few people are able to scrounge a career out of EFL back in their home countries, and some others never leave Korea or the EFL life. However for most peole, it is a temporary job that doesn't lead anywhere. If getting an early jump on the career path is important to you, I don't reccomend this route. |
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bnrockin
Joined: 27 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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I don't think there is anything wrong with "taking a year off" to work in Korea. There is potentially good money to be made here and as you say, it will give you a chance to explore the world.
There are some other benefits here that are not seen on face value. I call that self-improvement. A lot of that is learning to be more independent and work on bettering yourself. I know for me, it has taught me how to value what I left behind in the states and if anything, has greatly strengthened my relationship with my parents.
Also, your parents might say that it might not be relevant job experience to you, but I know based on my experiences, I can show a company that I am disciplined enough to stick to a year long contract, I am adaptable in any situation, I can be very independent if need be, I am working probably double the amount that I can in the U.S. and keeping up good quality work, etc.
I'm not the happiest person in Korea, but the self-betterment that I am getting from this place is amazing. |
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Apple
Joined: 29 May 2007
Location: S. Korea
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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They have asian culture in korea? Where? I havent seen any yet..  |
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RedRob
Joined: 07 Jul 2003
Location: Narnia
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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Apple, please tell me that honey on yr avatar is yr g/f!
Wow! |
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LuckyNomad
Joined: 28 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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| PeteJB wrote: |
| Maybe its your family and friends who haven't discovered what the real world actually is. I think this is very common among families who live in a bubble (deadend jobs and stable lifes, but not really doing what you want in life) especially mine. |
Exactly.
Ask them to define what the "real world," is, and they'll probably say, getting some boring job in the same place you've always lived, in which there is no way that you'll save tens of thousands of dollars. You might make more money in your country, but you won't be saving it.
My mother was skeptical at first, but after a few weeks she started berating my other siblings for settling into their uneventuful monotonous lives so quickly.
My older brother got married and started working at a credit union at the age of 22! My first sister got married and became a housewife at 20! If that's the real world, count me out. |
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