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sniperteam6
Joined: 08 Nov 2006
Location: Thailand, for now!
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 Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:25 pm Post subject: Epik, what Epik? |
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Annyonghaseyo everyone!
I read through many postings about Epik. I have an idea of what they are and their website is very imformative. But that is about it.
I hear of variations of EPIK contracts and jobs. So not all stroked with the same brush? Provincial vs. city differences with their contracts, etc??
Can anyone jump in and tell me how they differ?
Tks. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:31 pm Post subject: Re: Epik, what Epik? |
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| sniperteam6 wrote: |
Annyonghaseyo everyone!
I read through many postings about Epik. I have an idea of what they are and their website is very imformative. But that is about it.
I hear of variations of EPIK contracts and jobs. So not all stroked with the same brush? Provincial vs. city differences with their contracts, etc??
Can anyone jump in and tell me how they differ?
Tks. |
The difference is that there is NO difference within EPIK but not all schools are in the EPIK program.
Some schools and cities hire independantly of EPIK or other government programs. Some are in the GEPIK program. Seoul has it's own program (ETIS / SMOE). Incheon has it's own program and a separate afternoon program that is subcontracted to the Global English hakwon. Busan has it's own program. I officially work for the city education office and was a direct hire by my school. |
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xtchr
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:48 pm Post subject: Re: Epik, what Epik? |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| sniperteam6 wrote: |
Annyonghaseyo everyone!
I read through many postings about Epik. I have an idea of what they are and their website is very imformative. But that is about it.
I hear of variations of EPIK contracts and jobs. So not all stroked with the same brush? Provincial vs. city differences with their contracts, etc??
Can anyone jump in and tell me how they differ?
Tks. |
The difference is that there is NO difference within EPIK but not all schools are in the EPIK program.
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The Epik contracts may all be the same on paper, but there are huge differences in how they are adhered to. Some people get to go to one school only, other may have several to 'teach' at (highest number I know about was 61!). Some people get much more vacation than the seven days per semester, while others have complete morons for Supervisors who make you sit in an office from 9am-6pm every day while school is not in session, once all the 'camps' they've pimped you out to are finished.
If you're thinking of Epik my advice is hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:15 am Post subject: |
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| Yeah, the problem with EPIK, and why I turned them down, is that you have no choice over how they use you, or where you'll go apart from being able to request a general area. Many people end up at either a) huge over-crowded middle schools teaching upwards to 1,000 students every week or b) going around to several or a number of rural schools where one is more of a guest speaker than teacher. |
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Kimchieluver
Joined: 02 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:30 am Post subject: |
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| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
| Yeah, the problem with EPIK, and why I turned them down, is that you have no choice over how they use you, or where you'll go apart from being able to request a general area. Many people end up at either a) huge over-crowded middle schools teaching upwards to 1,000 students every week or b) going around to several or a number of rural schools where one is more of a guest speaker than teacher. |
I would refine that. Most are sent to cities where they teach at one or two schools or they are sent to the sticks where they teach at 4+ schools. |
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happeningthang
Joined: 26 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 6:14 pm Post subject: |
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| clandestine782 wrote: |
I just got finished with EPIK, and what was said here about people being put in the middle of the sticks was 100% true.
I was in a place that had a TOTAL of four buses going in/ out of it per day.
My time was divided between two schools (so the NUMBER of schools was not a problem so much as the fact that there just wasn't *beep* to do in the town).
There were also some very true statements made about supervisors that wanted you to stay in the office for the whole time (9am-6pm), and the reason is likely sour grapes. My (whiny) co-teacher made 2.3 million won after 16 years of teaching. I made the same thing upon entering the school.
And, yes, it does get old dealing with unruly children day in and day out really quickly. Or, if they aren't unruly, sometimes it gets kind of old just repeating the same tired songs over and over and over (and yet having to feign excitement).
You can save money, but at what price? If you wanted to have no life, you could have just as easily stayed in your home country and just picked up some extra shifts and saved the same amount of money as you could in Korea. (And this is because the savings potential here is kind of overrated after you get finished being nickeled and dimed to death for things like 150,000Won of heat per month. Or 600,000Won of groceries. Or 15,000Won if you want a single crappy pizza. To say nothing of the initial costs of a DVD player/ Cell Phone.) |
The initial costs of a DVD player and a cell phone??? In Korea? Korea produces a lot of both, and both are easily available cheaply. I agree heating can be expensive in winter, but who the hell pays $600 in groceries? |
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Horangi Munshin
Joined: 06 Apr 2003
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 12:10 am Post subject: |
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| happeningthang wrote: |
| clandestine782 wrote: |
I just got finished with EPIK, and what was said here about people being put in the middle of the sticks was 100% true.
I was in a place that had a TOTAL of four buses going in/ out of it per day.
My time was divided between two schools (so the NUMBER of schools was not a problem so much as the fact that there just wasn't *beep* to do in the town).
There were also some very true statements made about supervisors that wanted you to stay in the office for the whole time (9am-6pm), and the reason is likely sour grapes. My (whiny) co-teacher made 2.3 million won after 16 years of teaching. I made the same thing upon entering the school.
And, yes, it does get old dealing with unruly children day in and day out really quickly. Or, if they aren't unruly, sometimes it gets kind of old just repeating the same tired songs over and over and over (and yet having to feign excitement).
You can save money, but at what price? If you wanted to have no life, you could have just as easily stayed in your home country and just picked up some extra shifts and saved the same amount of money as you could in Korea. (And this is because the savings potential here is kind of overrated after you get finished being nickeled and dimed to death for things like 150,000Won of heat per month. Or 600,000Won of groceries. Or 15,000Won if you want a single crappy pizza. To say nothing of the initial costs of a DVD player/ Cell Phone.) |
The initial costs of a DVD player and a cell phone??? In Korea? Korea produces a lot of both, and both are easily available cheaply. I agree heating can be expensive in winter, but who the hell pays $600 in groceries? |
A family of 8? |
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Kimchieluver
Joined: 02 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 12:19 am Post subject: |
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| Horangi Munshin wrote: |
| happeningthang wrote: |
| clandestine782 wrote: |
I just got finished with EPIK, and what was said here about people being put in the middle of the sticks was 100% true.
I was in a place that had a TOTAL of four buses going in/ out of it per day.
My time was divided between two schools (so the NUMBER of schools was not a problem so much as the fact that there just wasn't *beep* to do in the town).
There were also some very true statements made about supervisors that wanted you to stay in the office for the whole time (9am-6pm), and the reason is likely sour grapes. My (whiny) co-teacher made 2.3 million won after 16 years of teaching. I made the same thing upon entering the school.
And, yes, it does get old dealing with unruly children day in and day out really quickly. Or, if they aren't unruly, sometimes it gets kind of old just repeating the same tired songs over and over and over (and yet having to feign excitement).
You can save money, but at what price? If you wanted to have no life, you could have just as easily stayed in your home country and just picked up some extra shifts and saved the same amount of money as you could in Korea. (And this is because the savings potential here is kind of overrated after you get finished being nickeled and dimed to death for things like 150,000Won of heat per month. Or 600,000Won of groceries. Or 15,000Won if you want a single crappy pizza. To say nothing of the initial costs of a DVD player/ Cell Phone.) |
The initial costs of a DVD player and a cell phone??? In Korea? Korea produces a lot of both, and both are easily available cheaply. I agree heating can be expensive in winter, but who the hell pays $600 in groceries? |
A family of 8? |
My wife and I can spend $600 in groceries easily. If we are entertaining guests, the figure can go up a large amount for every soju/Pink Floyd night. |
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Horangi Munshin
Joined: 06 Apr 2003
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 12:27 am Post subject: |
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Really!!!
That seems like a lot.
My wife and I spend under or a bit over 300 a month. We live with my wife's family, but the only stuff we don't buy food wise is beef (which we rarely eat at home), vegetables and rice. |
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jlb
Joined: 18 Sep 2003
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:02 am Post subject: |
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For groceries, I usually spend about 25 000 a week. Maybe 35 000 at the most if I splurge out on some good stuff. I never buy meat or processed crap so I save a lot of money on that I think.
Anything over 200 000/month for a single person is just excessive I think. |
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Kimchieluver
Joined: 02 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:09 am Post subject: |
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| Vegetables and fruit are the big money grabbers. Australian beef is not too much more expensive than pork. We are starting to shop late at night (after 10:00 PM) so we get discounts. It may pay off, it might not. |
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poet13
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Location: Just over there....throwing lemons.
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 2:55 am Post subject: |
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| So where can one buy australian beef, cause in my little city/town, beef is 3-4000 won per 100 grams. Incredible. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 3:22 am Post subject: |
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| poet13 wrote: |
| So where can one buy australian beef, cause in my little city/town, beef is 3-4000 won per 100 grams. Incredible. |
Home plue, lotte mart, e-mart, homever.... I am buying cheap cuts of steak for about 10k per KILO (850-1200 per 100gms.)
Ground beef is w1050 per 100gms. Stew beef is the same cost.
The wife and I average about 50k per week for groceries + 30k for baby supplies and diapers. |
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poet13
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Location: Just over there....throwing lemons.
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| Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 3:43 am Post subject: |
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| Ah we dont have those here, but in the next fw months, a Carreforre will open about two blocks from me... |
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