Korean Job Discussion Forums

Rather_Dashing · Joined: 07 Sep 2004

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Daechidong Waygookin · Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2004 7:32 pm Post subject:

The Ph.D is a quick way to success, but you will be old by the time you get here. You can always try one year and decide if its for you. I came with just a B.Sc. and slaved away in hagwons for 3 years. Now, I could have gotten my Masters or Ph.D. and Id be 28 by the time I got here. Which I am now. Anyway, its probable that I would be working a worse job than I have now. It depends I guess if you want to stay in Korea forever, in which case just getting experience is as good as a Ph.D. or if you want to live in other places too, in which case your haggie experience wouldnt amount to very much outside of Korea.

Rather_Dashing · Joined: 07 Sep 2004

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Daechidong Waygookin · Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2004 7:46 pm Post subject:

hari seldon · Joined: 05 Dec 2004 Location: Incheon

TJ · Joined: 10 Mar 2003

It might seem like a big 'piece of paper' now but later on you will find your bachelors degree is not worth all that much when you are applying for that job you really really want. Someone else with a bigger 'piece of paper' ie. a masters or a PhD will get the job. I know, it's happened to me.

My recommendation is ........ continue with your studies right now !!! If you put it off for a year or so you will find a hundred reasons to put it off for another year, then another year. Next thing you will have a family and committments that prevent you from going back to study.

Don't pay any attention to people who say that you will be too old at 28 or whatever. At 28 you're in your prime.

What's more, when you have that magic PhD you will be in demand. The chances are overseas employers will want you and will pay much more than they would a holder of a mere Bachelor's degree. AND, many overseas employers pay all sorts of fringe benefits to PhD holders .... first class airfare - not economy, transport costs of your furniture, airfares of your dependants (if any), some even pay for the schooling of your children (if any). etc. etc.

Of course you won't get these benefits from the average Korean hagwan but who cares - with a PhD the world is your oyster.

Well, now that I've said my piece I'll sit back and wait for people to tell me I don't know what I'm talking about.

My response to anyone who thinks I am wrong is ..... don't take my word for it. Make your own enquiries. You may be surprised how loudly a PhD talks.

PolyChronic Time Girl · Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Location: Korea Exited

It sounds cliche but you don't know until you've tried it. I'm also in the same predicament. I left halfway thru my Master's because I had a huge travel itch, came to Korea, only planned to stay a year, but stood another year because I met my Korean honeybunny here. Going back next year to finish my Master's...to me getting that degree is VERY important and it's what I want to do so you'll have to evaluate what you really want. I know that I don't want to live in Korea forever, no matter how good the money is. It's not for me. But I'm glad I stood here for almost 2 years because now I feel more energy to finish school and I miss it terribly. It's just what I needed because I was feeilng burned out finishing my Bachelor's and propelling straight to my Master's.
It might do you some good to do some travelling first. So what if you are in your early 30's when you get your Ph.D? That's still pretty dang young. And only come for a year or six months. Also, since I am going back to my Master's soon, I'm studying for M.A exams now so I feel like I'm knocking two birds with one stone. I'm sure there are ways you can continue your research while you travel so you are not so behind when you come back.
But on a contradictory note, let me forewarn you. Life does not always go according to plans. You may come here with the intention to leave after a year, but you meet a great gal or fall in love with the country or want to go to Taiwain after or whatever. Nothing is wrong with this. But I learned a valuable lesson living in Korea that I have to bump along now to all the inconsistencies in my life and alter some huge plans. Either choice you make though, one or the other will be there for you. If you finish your Ph.D first, then you can come to Korea and get a good Uni job and skip all the hagwon hell. You'll still be in your late 20's/early 30's and will have NO problem landing a job. Or you can come to Korea first and change up life a a little bit and gain some new perspectives. Both choices are not too shabby. I'm happy with my choices. Just go with what you really want at the moment. Good luck! Wink

Daechidong Waygookin · Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2004 8:44 pm Post subject: Re: Bachelors degree

yomuthabyotch · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Hell, Korea

It's SOLELY up to you, RD, as frustrating as that may sound to you right now. Do what your inner-self/demon tells ya. If you're itching to get the hell outta wherever you are, then GET THE HELL OUT--don't tie yourself down with decisions-decisions-decisions!

School has burnt me out; at this juncture in my life, I wouldn't be patient enough to sit thru the whole education system again after having been thru it from kindergarten to college non-stop.

My current situation is that I can't afford to go to school anymore anyway--I've amassed a huge student-loan debt just from my undergrad years! Crying or Very sad

I plan to earn some dough in Korea, pay off my debt, THEN go back to the Evil Empire and get a master's or something. (But I'll definitely try to wait until the Evil Emperor is out of office though before that happens.)

Rather_Dashing · Joined: 07 Sep 2004

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yomuthabyotch · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Hell, Korea

Zyzyfer · Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:10 pm Post subject:

What I would do would depend entirely on my financial situation, since the cards were down for me when it came to money before I came to Korea. If you're going to get your PhD entirely on loans and such, you may want to consider just how much money that PhD is going to cost you in terms of monthly payments. However, if you've got the dosh to pay it yourself, that isn't a factor. If I were you and had my financial situation that I did when I got my undergrad degree, I would come to Korea. If I had more money, I would've pressed on with studies and tried to arrange more study abroad programs so I could still see the world.

As for funding your education, you can come here and have a lot of fun and travels and bank $10,000 US for school, or work your ass off and bank over $20,000 but not really enjoy it. Korea can be a great springboard for either funding something big or for travelling around Asia, but the country itself isn't the most exciting spot in the universe to take a break and see what the outside world has to offer.

kimchikowboy · Joined: 24 Jan 2003

The first question that comes to mind is that field are you planning to study? If you want a PhD in linguistics it might be more valuable to come here than, say, microbiology. What is your BA in?
If you are studying business, it might be better to work for a few years before starting an MBA.
Good luck either way. I start my PhD studies here next month, and I'm a bit nervous about being a student again.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

I really think you should post about your dilemma on a few more messageboards, and find out what the rest of the internet world thinks. Quickly, quickly...your future is waiting.