Jessye Rodgers

I am a recently graduated English major from America living and working in the wider Seoul area.

Why did you choose this program?

I appreciated the layout of the website, which made navigating programs easy. I liked the inclusion of the TEFL certification as well as the reputation and credibility. I also chose this program for the support in America and on the ground in South Korea. They made the process a lot less stressful since it was so structured.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

The program provider assisted with the TEFL course, though I had to find the practicum on my own. Also, they found me the schools to interview with and set up the interview times and everything. They also ran as the middleman for all correspondence, which was nice. We sent all of our contract and submission materials to CIEE, and they then passed it on to our school. I applied with my boyfriend and we were both able to find a position at the same school.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Try and get more vacation days in your contract. They say that it is near impossible, but almost all of the foreign teachers I work with negotiated extra vacation time in their contract. Also, if you are a couple, do not expect that your apartment will be much larger than a single person's. I think a lot are hit or miss, so never take a job that is featured on ANY blacklist.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

I work from 9am-6pm, Monday through Friday, and have only been asked to stay later once when there was an event the next day. I have only had to work a couple Saturdays, but we are given school days off to compensate for those Saturdays worked. We eat lunch with our kindergarten class, and lunch is provided for teachers. I typically have 1-2 hours of free time during my day to prepare for classes, write progress reports, and grade tests.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My largest fear was feeling out of place, as a foreigner in a homogeneous society, but it really hasn't bothered me that much! You do feel like you are being constantly watched with great attention, and sometimes that really irritates foreigners. Random people will stop you and try to talk to you to practice their English, but just be open to it.

I really enjoy Korea, even though the work culture can be intense sometimes, and may be working more than the average American. That being said, we aren't working as hard as the standard Korean worker in most fields.

Write and answer your own question.

If you are on the larger size, body wise and shoe size wise, bring lots of clothes with you! The stores are carrying wider sizes now, and most Korean fashions are a bit oversized anyway, but you don't want to be caught unawares. My boyfriend is a L or XL in America, but in Korea he is an XL or a 2XL.