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jrk888
Joined: 22 Jun 2011
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 Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 4:43 pm Post subject: List of questions about EPIK |
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Hello,
I would like to register for the EPIK program to begin in February. I have a list of questions. I will likely forget to add some so I might come back to ask more.
- Is the pay on the website flexible or is that pretty much stagnant? For example, does each level get paid the exact amount that is listed on the website or are the schools willing to give a little bit of leeway on that?
-What is television like? I like to watch a lot of sports, is it expensive to get sports channels? Is it likely that I can watch basketball, even if it is Korean basketball?
-What is the deal with the summer and winter vacations? Do you still get paid for those months without working? Also, are there jobs available to work during that period? Is it forced or do they ask you to? I'm wondering because I would like to do a bit of traveling but I want to make sure I know in advance if I'm working or not, though obviously it would be nice to get extra money.
-What's the deal with the electricity? Should I bring my computer, electric razor, other small items or will they get blown up due to the higher voltage of electricity in South Korea?
-What is the schedule like when you work from 10-6? Is there like a two hour lunch break or what?
-What is it like eating food and grocery shopping? I am a very healthy eater, eating a lot of chicken/fish/eggs/fruit/veggies.... are American items such as American cereals (Kashi brand) more expensive? Is the food generally healthier?
-I don't eat out a whole lot and don't like to spend a whole lot on alcohol--will my money situation be pretty stable? How does the "no tax" thing work?
-What's the deal with having contacts and/or medications? Do I have to have all that information faxed over from previous doctors or something?
-How much creative input do you have in your lessons? Also, how much time outside of school do you generally spend preparing your lessons?
I know this is a big list, and I'm sure I have more, but I just want to know what to expect in these areas.
Thanks. |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 5:49 pm Post subject: Re: List of questions about EPIK |
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| jrk888 wrote: |
| I know this is a big list... |
Sure is.
Is this post the extent of your research? Try looking before asking. Answers will vary. |
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jrk888
Joined: 22 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:36 am Post subject: |
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| Yeah that takes way too much time. It would have been nicer if you just answered the questions. |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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yes  |
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jrk888
Joined: 22 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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Good to know this website I've read so much about is so helpful to future ESL teachers. Thanks guys!  |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:59 pm Post subject: Re: List of questions about EPIK |
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| jrk888 wrote: |
Hello,
I would like to register for the EPIK program to begin in February. I have a list of questions. I will likely forget to add some so I might come back to ask more.
- Is the pay on the website flexible or is that pretty much stagnant? For example, does each level get paid the exact amount that is listed on the website or are the schools willing to give a little bit of leeway on that?
-What is television like? I like to watch a lot of sports, is it expensive to get sports channels? Is it likely that I can watch basketball, even if it is Korean basketball?
-What is the deal with the summer and winter vacations? Do you still get paid for those months without working? Also, are there jobs available to work during that period? Is it forced or do they ask you to? I'm wondering because I would like to do a bit of traveling but I want to make sure I know in advance if I'm working or not, though obviously it would be nice to get extra money.
-What's the deal with the electricity? Should I bring my computer, electric razor, other small items or will they get blown up due to the higher voltage of electricity in South Korea?
-What is the schedule like when you work from 10-6? Is there like a two hour lunch break or what?
-What is it like eating food and grocery shopping? I am a very healthy eater, eating a lot of chicken/fish/eggs/fruit/veggies.... are American items such as American cereals (Kashi brand) more expensive? Is the food generally healthier?
-I don't eat out a whole lot and don't like to spend a whole lot on alcohol--will my money situation be pretty stable? How does the "no tax" thing work?
-What's the deal with having contacts and/or medications? Do I have to have all that information faxed over from previous doctors or something?
-How much creative input do you have in your lessons? Also, how much time outside of school do you generally spend preparing your lessons?
I know this is a big list, and I'm sure I have more, but I just want to know what to expect in these areas.
Thanks. |
Hopefully I can help you with some questions.
I'm not in EPIK so I can't answer any of those EPIK questions. BUT, I can say that a great deal of how you live in Korea depends on where you live. Some places are better than others, no matter what recruiters may tell you (many are liars).
Korean TV = Blechhhh- but you can watch some sports. You can also watch sports on the internet. Expect to watch most sports on your computer. If you are a big sports fan you can go to see Korean pro leagues like: baseball, soccer, basketball, and volleyball.
Eating and grocery choices depend on you and where you live. Living close to Seoul and close to a Costco will give you many more choices for eating western foods and for saving money with your choices. You will pay higher prices for American foods but living closer to a Costco can save you a great deal of money. Costco has many products you can't buy elsewhere. http://www.costco.co.kr/eng/whs_850.htm
You pay no Korean taxes for your first 2 years in Korea BUT Korean income taxes are very low.
That's pretty much all I can answer for you. Many others may weigh in, but no one can tell you anything for sure until you KNOW where you will teach. The location is the most important thing. |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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pay is always negotiable. more handsome you are more pay you can negotiate.
only korean drama and news 24/7 on all channels.
vacation pay is discretion of employer. if handsome, almost guaranteed that they will pay. most will force you to do summer and winter camps which is slave work. you will be too tired to travel.
don't bring any electronic from home. they will be fried instantly. besides your boss will provide everything.
if your schedule is 10-6, you won't get any breaks. you will be teaching 10 classes straight through.
you will be eating healthier diet. you will be forced on kimchi and rice diet for entire time you are in korea. you won't find any western stores or food in korea. they won't even allow u.s. beef.
you'd be lucky if the emplyer pays you on time each month.
you won't be needing prescription to get your meds. you can fill any meds off the street, especially narcotics strength meds.
good luck.
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dbtm
Joined: 24 Sep 2010
Location: ottawa
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| Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 12:01 am Post subject: |
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Everything is sweet.
Kashi is like 5x sweeter than American Kashi.
It CAN be very expensive to eat healthy. You can broke trying to maintain a "Whole Foods" diet.
People are always bitching about how expensive fruit is in korea but me and my 3000W banana bunch or my 6000W bag of kiwis that I buy from the stand across the street beg to differ. |
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runthegauntlet
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Location: the southlands.
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| Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 2:04 am Post subject: Re: List of questions about EPIK |
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| jrk888 wrote: |
Hello,
- Is the pay on the website flexible or is that pretty much stagnant? For example, does each level get paid the exact amount that is listed on the website or are the schools willing to give a little bit of leeway on that?
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In my experience and of those I know, the pay is as described, though it varies by region, experience, number of schools, etc. Essentially, though, expect to get what's listed on the site.
| jrk888 wrote: |
-What is the deal with the summer and winter vacations? Do you still get paid for those months without working? Also, are there jobs available to work during that period? Is it forced or do they ask you to? I'm wondering because I would like to do a bit of traveling but I want to make sure I know in advance if I'm working or not, though obviously it would be nice to get extra money. |
Not sure where you get the idea that you're not working. You'll do camps. Likely at least 2 weeks of camps in both summer and winter, though they may thrown on another one or two depending on time. You'll get 18-21 days of contractual vacation for most regions. Not sure if Gangwon-do still gives more, but if so then you'll get what the contract says.
If you're not teaching camp, expect to be desk-warming. You may or may not get the luck of the draw and not be expected to do so, but I certainly wouldn't count on that.
The contract also stipulates how and when that vacation will be used. For example, mine states 10 days during winter vacation and 8 days during summer. I asked and was allowed to switch them, though.
Also be aware that if you don't actually have to deskwarm, you are not supposed to/allowed to leave the country. You're only supposed to/allowed to do that during national holidays and your designated vacation days.
You will (hopefully, maybe) discuss when the dates of the camps will be with your coteacher.
| jrk888 wrote: |
-What's the deal with the electricity? Should I bring my computer, electric razor, other small items or will they get blown up due to the higher voltage of electricity in South Korea?
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Your computer and electronics will be fine. Rechargeable batteries (AA, AAA, etc.) won't without a voltage adapter but cameras, mp3 players, etc., will be alright.
| jrk888 wrote: |
-What is the schedule like when you work from 10-6? Is there like a two hour lunch break or what?
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My schedule is 8:40-4:40 with a one period (40 minutes) lunch. I typically teach four (40 min) classes a day and have the afternoons free to sit at my desk and do stuff.
Many/most schools will range from 8:30-9:00 to 4:30-5:00. Regardless it'll be an 8 hour work day.
| jrk888 wrote: |
-How much creative input do you have in your lessons? Also, how much time outside of school do you generally spend preparing your lessons?
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As much or as little as I want. You will (likely) be expected to use the TV/screen/smart board for the majority of your lessons so all manner of ppt lessons, games, songs, and youtube videos can/will be utilized in addition to any other projects and activities you want to do.
Fortunately there are loads of these lessons/video/song ideas on the internet for you to use/try out/get an idea of when you're just starting out. There are some absolutely brilliant teachers out there who are nice enough to share lesson plans and ideas so definitely take advantage of that as much as you can.
I spend no time outside of work preparing. I teach two grades with 6 classes in each so I will teach the same lesson 6 times, meaning I only have to make 2-4 lesson plans a week. Sometimes that means the first class is the 'guinea pig' for ideas/activities but after the first one it's a breeze.
You're at work 40 hours a week but you're only teaching 22 of those hours. You'll probably have quite a bit of time to plan the most intricate or basic lessons you could dream of.
Or you could get caught having to do 5 different levels with 16 different lesson plans a week. In that case you'll be heaps busy. Kind of the luck of the draw on that one. |
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jrk888
Joined: 22 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 12:45 pm Post subject: Re: List of questions about EPIK |
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Thank you everybody for your help.
| runthegauntlet wrote: |
Not sure where you get the idea that you're not working. You'll do camps. Likely at least 2 weeks of camps in both summer and winter, though they may thrown on another one or two depending on time. You'll get 18-21 days of contractual vacation for most regions. Not sure if Gangwon-do still gives more, but if so then you'll get what the contract says.
If you're not teaching camp, expect to be desk-warming. You may or may not get the luck of the draw and not be expected to do so, but I certainly wouldn't count on that.
The contract also stipulates how and when that vacation will be used. For example, mine states 10 days during winter vacation and 8 days during summer. I asked and was allowed to switch them, though.
Also be aware that if you don't actually have to deskwarm, you are not supposed to/allowed to leave the country. You're only supposed to/allowed to do that during national holidays and your designated vacation days.
You will (hopefully, maybe) discuss when the dates of the camps will be with your coteacher.
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Sorry, I didn't really understand how the whole "vacation time" worked. I also don't entirely understand how this works. If I wanted to travel to China, Japan, etc., when is that possible? Do I have to wait until I'm about to go home?
| Quote: |
Your computer and electronics will be fine. Rechargeable batteries (AA, AAA, etc.) won't without a voltage adapter but cameras, mp3 players, etc., will be alright.
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I was mostly worried about the computer, camera, and electric razor. Do I buy a converter for these? I was only wondering because I was told by a Korean person that because there is such high voltage of electricity in Korea, it might not be a good idea to bring U.S. electronic items because they may get damaged.
Thank you again. |
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runthegauntlet
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Location: the southlands.
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| Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 2:59 pm Post subject: Re: List of questions about EPIK |
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| jrk888 wrote: |
Thank you everybody for your help.
Sorry, I didn't really understand how the whole "vacation time" worked. I also don't entirely understand how this works. If I wanted to travel to China, Japan, etc., when is that possible? Do I have to wait until I'm about to go home?
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You can go during public holidays (Lunar New Year and Chuseok are usually 5 days each) or your allotted vacation time ( 8-10 days during the summer or winter breaks)
| jrk888 wrote: |
I was mostly worried about the computer, camera, and electric razor. Do I buy a converter for these? I was only wondering because I was told by a Korean person that because there is such high voltage of electricity in Korea, it might not be a good idea to bring U.S. electronic items because they may get damaged.
Thank you again. |
I imagine they'll be fine, but can't say for sure.
I've used three different computers, two different cameras, a psp, an ipod, a gps and an mp3 player from the US here and they've all been fine. If you look at your razor, camera, computer, etc., if should have a voltage range listed on it. As long as that range extends to 240 (which I believe most do), you'll be fine. |
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krinkels
Joined: 14 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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Bump, I'm also applying for the EPIK for feb. But I'm worried about getting reimbursed from the school more than anything. How long does it usually take for a school to pay you for the ticket?
And it seems like you won't know where you're going to be teaching at until you get to Korea, according to the application. Is this true? |
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runthegauntlet
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Location: the southlands.
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| Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 4:20 am Post subject: |
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| krinkels wrote: |
Bump, I'm also applying for the EPIK for feb. But I'm worried about getting reimbursed from the school more than anything. How long does it usually take for a school to pay you for the ticket?
And it seems like you won't know where you're going to be teaching at until you get to Korea, according to the application. Is this true? |
Depends on the POE and EPIK. I applied directly through the POE and knew the name of the school I was interviewing for. Previously most just showed up and found out the school and exact location upon arrival, but not sure if that's still the typical case or not.
I was reimbursed within the first month. You don't really have to worry too much about that part. They'll sort you out. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 7:02 am Post subject: Re: List of questions about EPIK |
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| runthegauntlet wrote: |
| jrk888 wrote: |
Thank you everybody for your help.
Sorry, I didn't really understand how the whole "vacation time" worked. I also don't entirely understand how this works. If I wanted to travel to China, Japan, etc., when is that possible? Do I have to wait until I'm about to go home?
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You can go during public holidays (Lunar New Year and Chuseok are usually 5 days each) or your allotted vacation time ( 8-10 days during the summer or winter breaks)
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Ha ha ha, better book your tickets now if you expect to travel during those times. I'm not kidding either. 0_0
| jrk888 wrote: |
I was mostly worried about the computer, camera, and electric razor. Do I buy a converter for these? I was only wondering because I was told by a Korean person that because there is such high voltage of electricity in Korea, it might not be a good idea to bring U.S. electronic items because they may get damaged.
Thank you again. |
I imagine they'll be fine, but can't say for sure.
I've used three different computers, two different cameras, a psp, an ipod, a gps and an mp3 player from the US here and they've all been fine. If you look at your razor, camera, computer, etc., if should have a voltage range listed on it. As long as that range extends to 240 (which I believe most do), you'll be fine. |
You can get voltage converters if you need to, but why bother? You can buy cheap electronics and stuff in Korea. Leave your stuff at home and it will be there waiting for you when you return. |
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runthegauntlet
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Location: the southlands.
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| Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 4:11 pm Post subject: Re: List of questions about EPIK |
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| some waygug-in wrote: |
You can get voltage converters if you need to, but why bother? You can buy cheap electronics and stuff in Korea. Leave your stuff at home and it will be there waiting for you when you return. |
True.
Electronics in Korea are a bit more expensive than similar things back home, though. And when you just arrive finding things like that can be much more of a hassle than it would be for someone who's been here for a while.
But to each his own. |
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