When I was living abroad I wasn’t sure what life would be like when I finished my contract and moved home. I planned to only live in South Korea for a year but ended up extending my contract and living in Busan for almost a year and a half. I knew there would be some reverse culture shock when I moved home but I was really surprised by what I experienced and wanted to share that! In fact, one way to help with reverse culture shock is by writing down and talking about your experiences!
Read MoreTags: preparing to teach in Korea, Teach English in Korea, Teach Abroad, Teach English overseas, busan, life after Korea
I know what you’re thinking, “What an exciting title!” But trust me this article contains important information to help you navigate a topic that you wouldn’t normally think would be confusing. Recycling and waste disposal in South Korea is actually pretty different than in North America and other Western countries. Prior to moving to South Korea,I had no idea that there were any major differences with trash and recycling but I was very mistaken! Hopefully after reading my article you’ll feel more informed and prepared for the changes to come.
Read MoreTags: preparing to teach in Korea, Teach English in Korea, Teach Abroad, Teach English overseas, things to do in Korea, things to do on the weekend, restaurants in korea, busan, garbage, trash in korea
In comparing one job to another, there is a lot to take into consideration. Obviously, there will be a set of pros and cons to each one, and it can be difficult to sift through them each fairly. Also, there is a certain aspect of it all that is very personal and objective. The following comparison is between my experiences teaching stateside and the experience I have so far teaching in South Korea. I have loved every job I have ever had teaching, but I hope to shed some light on some of the struggles that you are able to avoid by teaching abroad, specifically with Chungdahm Learning and the Aclipse program.
Read MoreTags: preparing to teach in Korea, Teach English in Korea, Teach Abroad, Teach English overseas, English teacher in Korea, teaching at CDL, career
Korean Camping Culture: Making Time in the Great Korean Outdoors
Transition can be a scary thing for people. This is especially so when you are staring down the barrel of moving, not only to a different apartment or city, but an entirely new continent. This inevitably brings us face to face with new culture, language barriers, different foods and different ways to travel. Some people are very excited for all these things; this is what travel means to them. Others view many of these new facets of life with trepidation.
Read MoreTags: national park, preparing to teach in Korea, Teach English in Korea, Teach Abroad, Teach English overseas, camping, outdoor activities, Cycling, top places to travel in Korea
Okay, so everybody knows how great Seoul is. All the information you could ever dream of is already at your fingertips with all the youtube videos, blog posts and more. However, when I found out I would be in the Pohang branch of Chungdahm, there was very little out there about this little seaside town.
Read MoreTags: preparing to teach in Korea, Teach English in Korea, Teach Abroad, Teach English overseas, cities in Korea, Pohang, top places to travel in Korea
With hundreds of kids swarming around you every day, unless you have some superhuman immune system, you’re probably going to get sick at some point. Unfortunately, kids love to cough and sneeze into their hands...and then touch their notebooks and tablets...and then hand their stuff to you.
Read MoreTags: insurance in Korea, preparing to teach in Korea, Teach English in Korea, Teach Abroad, Teach English overseas, medical care in Korea, hospitals
Before moving to Busan, I didn’t know very much about Korean food. I did very little research and was surprised when I got there and realized that most Korean food is very meat-centric. I used to be a vegetarian and have never been a really big fan of meals centered around meat (aside from burgers!). I quickly tried to find a couple restaurants where I could enjoy foods from back home, here are a couple of my favorites!
Read MoreTags: preparing to teach in Korea, Teach English in Korea, Teach Abroad, Teach English overseas, things to do in Korea, things to do on the weekend, restaurants in korea, busan
In Korea, I feel like I'm able to live and afford a better lifestyle than I had back home (in the U.S.) because the cost of living is very cheap here! In this article I'll break down some of the biggest costs and the price difference between Korea and the U.S. I've lived in Busan for over a year, so some of this information might not be accurate for other locations - for example I've heard Seoul is a little bit more expensive.
Read MoreTags: preparing to teach in Korea, Teach English in Korea, Teach Abroad, Teach English overseas, things to do in Korea, things to do on the weekend, busan, Beaches in Korea, cost of living
Training Week: Intense but Rewarding
The best way I can describe training week was that it was kind of like boot camp. You need your stamina! It’s an intense five days packed with information about Chungdahm and its curriculum. As a fresh college graduate completely new to classroom teaching, it felt a bit overwhelming at times, but by the end of the week, I felt somewhat accomplished and like I had a solid foundation going into my first week of teaching!
Read MoreTags: preparing to teach in Korea, Teach English in Korea, Teach Abroad, Teach English overseas, Training Center, training week
I had so many questions before moving to Korea, one of the most important ones was "what's a typical day teaching at iGarten like?" It's hard to feel prepared moving your whole life overseas, but having a glimpse into a day as a teacher helps! Here is a typical day at my school - iGarten in Centum City, Busan (near Haeundae).
Read MoreTags: preparing to teach in Korea, Teach English in Korea, Teach Abroad, Teach English overseas, iGarten