Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sonicmatt]

I know I have seen people post lists or what to bring with them when they come over but it seems when you really need to use the search function it does not work. I was wondering what people thought what a new teacher would need when coming to Korea to teach for the 1st time. I do remember seeing to bring plenty of deodorant and since I wear pretty big shoes(size 13) I am going to bring extra pair. Is there anything else I should bring that anyone can think of?

[dean_burrito]

bring plenty of books to read unless you like watching irobot, blade, and the mummy movies over and over and over.
and with that big foot bring and extra pair of shoes, some sandals and some indoor slippers.
what you can leave behind is the desire to know things up front or before hand.
have fun.

[DrOctagon]

I'm a newbie too, and here's a list of things I'm bringing. It's not exhaustive.

-6 pairs of shoes (dress, casual, athletic) & 1 pair of flip-flops
-socks and underwear
-jeans, pants, khakis, shorts
-t-shirts, polo's, button downs
-sweat shirts, sweaters, jackets (I may ship winter clothes by boat)
-3 baseball caps
-1 bedsheet
-6 sticks of deodorant, which will probably last me a year if I conserve.
-OTC cold and cough meds, allergy meds, ibuprofen, bug spray, multivitamins, eye drops, toothbrush and toothpaste, razor with extra blades, shaving cream, and ear plugs (in case I have loud neighbors).
-Nizoral shampoo (not sure if you can buy this in Korea)
-Finpecia (generic propecia, to help prevent hair loss -- go ahead and laugh)
-A few books
-Spices (the ones that are difficult to find or too expensive in Korea)
-Xbox 360
-Jet Lag and Airborne pills

I'm probably forgetting some stuff, but I hope this helps!

[NoDolan]

Extra Shoes socks and slippers. Deoderant, Real Asprin, and Cotton Swabs (Q-Tips)
Electric plug converters but not voltage converters.
Extra Large Condoms...
Western cold and flu and or allergy medicine.
If you plan on cooking, ship yourself spices.
Bring one towel.
open mind.

[DrOctagon]

[nomad-ish]

i wouldn't bother bringing many books, i've heard some people order them online, but if you're close enough to seoul i'd just go to itaewon's whatthebook and load up on used paperbacks after you arrive. no sense in wasting your baggage weight allowance! as for movies you'll find you can buy cheap dvds on the street for 4000ish won in seoul or other big cities. if you're in a rural area just stock up on these whenever you're heading into a city

i also second the cough medicine advice... definitely bring some nyquil, dayquil, etc. almost everyone i know had at least one big cold/flu during their first year in korea! if you run out, there is a shop in seoul's itaewon called red door (can be hard to find, so ask for directions before looking for it) where they sell some western medications and food

bring a lot of clothes, even if you think you'll fit in the korean sizes alright, often you'll find the sleeves or pant legs too short or the fashion style... undesirable

good luck!

[PRagic]

A B.Ed. and beer money.

[Areut]

[Tobias]

6-10 copies of your diploma.
6-10 copies of your transcripts.
An English version of Windows.
A certificate of residency.
About 10 sticks of deodorant per year you'll be here.

When I went to Thailand on vacation, I got a 50% discount on my plane ticket there...sort of. I brought back a load of shit, such as deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, socks, and other things that are expensive here but cheap there. For example, Korea has little bottles of Nivea roll-on that costs 9 bucks or more in my town. That costs maybe a buck fifty in Thailand. All told my haul saved me at least 150 bucks.

[Imrahil]

A truck load of patience for all the crap you will have to put up with.

[maddog]

Thick skin

An open mind

A minimum of $500 and/or a credit card (I didn't get paid for 5 weeks)

A healthy liver that will be able to handle a year of abuse

A pair of balls

[sheba]

2 pairs of work shoes, 2 pairs of summer sandals or flip flops. A lot of clothes. You'll probably be able to find a shop in Itaewon in Seoul that has clothes and shoes to fit, but style and choice may be limited.

FYI slippers in Korea are not like the fluffy/material ones that we wear back home, they are more like a sandal with a wide band over the foot and an open toe (usually). At my hagwon, slippers are anything with a flat heal as long as its not worn outside... that includes 2 inch rubber heals, bright orange imitation leather, with multi colored flowers, beads and glitter (like my supervisor has!)... Korea for ya. The men typically wear plain black plastic/rubber based sandals.

If you have a laptop, bring that. Downloading English movies/series/music/books might just keep you sane some days.

Sheets are a good idea, Koreans dont use them.
Spray deoderant is available but not all that common, so Id recommend you bring your own.
Some photos of home/family/friends for yourself (if youre sentimental), and also to show your students and korean friends.
Any foods you might especially miss or cant get in Korea. (Might pay to get someone to send these to you after you arrive to save luggage space).

Medication - if you get sick often, ask your doctor for an extra prescription and have it filled before you leave. Also a decent pain killer (Tylenol is about as strong as its gets in Korea), Immodium (travelers diahorrea), cough medicine, cold n flu tabs...

Bug spray, vitamins, eye drops, toothpaste, toothbrush, shavers, and shaving cream are all readily available in Korea. If you MUST have a certain brand then bring your own... The towels in Korea are about the same size as a typical hand towel back home, so you can bring a big one if you want or they are available at big brand supermarkets (homeplus, emart, walmart etc).

You might want to bring some little souvenir type prizes for students (cheap key rings, stationery, candy, coins etc), or gifts for your boss (wine, food, nice stationery sets etc).

Hope this helps!

[PRagic]

Koreans don't use sheets? That's funny. You can get sheets at 2001 Outlet, Kim's Club, Costco, and any department store in Seoul, not to mention the larger outdoor markets. Don't know about the burbs or boonies. You might want to bring a set so

Only bring food if you have dietary restrictions. If you can't do without your hometown grub, why are you bothering to move overseas to begin with? All you need for your first few weeks is ready access to toilet paper.

Bring a laptop if you want, but remember that it's 220 here. Get out and about every 3 or 4 day weekend that you get and enjoy your experience. I always feel sorry for newbies who waste their time hunched over a computer in a coffee shop!

Just come on over and go with the flow. But I would agree with the poster who mentioned bringing multiple copies of your degrees and diplomas.

And my original recommendation still stands. Beer money.

[PRagic]

Oops..didn't finish the sheet comment. You might want to bring a set so that you can use them when you first arrive.

[Fresh Prince]

Some other things to bring:

-Korean phrasebook (teach yourself the alphabet before you come)
-Hand sanitizer
-Cold weather jacket
-Sense of humor (preferably one that is well broken-in from frequent use)