Do your research. Be open-minded. And just go for it (after doing your research of course.)
Going abroad is a life changing experience so make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. I cannot stress out how important it is to do your research. Make sure the school is a good fit for you. Research the school and try to get in touch with other teachers if you can.
Research is something I wish I had done my first year. Honestly, I took the first job I was offered and just signed the contract without really thinking about it. Within my first month at my school, there were three teachers who pulled a midnight run, and the fourth teacher got fired. I remembered thinking “what did I get myself into?!”
Yes, my first school was terrible, but no, I did not regret my decision to come to South Korea. Yes, I should've done more research before jumping in but it was a good learning experience for me. I became good friends with my remaining co-teachers and had the sweetest students so they made my year bearable.
Don't let one bad thing ruin your perception of a country. And when you've done your research, just go for it. Living and working in another country is truly life changing.
I work at a hagwon (private academy) so my hours are pretty late. I usually work from 2 PM to 10 PM but I'm a night owl so I'm okay with this. I'm at my school for 40 hours each week but my actual teaching time is about 30 hours with the rest being prep time and dinner breaks.
From 2 PM to usually 7 PM, I teach lower level classes with students who are anywhere between first grade to sixth grade. In the evening, I teach the higher level and advanced classes with students ranging from fourth grade to ninth grade.
It sounds kind of silly but I think one of my biggest concerns was the food. What can I eat? As a child, I was a really really picky eater. I was SO picky that I didn't eat my first slice of pizza until my freshman year of college (that was when I stopped being so picky!)
My pickiness eventually led to me becoming a vegetarian. I was a vegetarian for eight years before finally reintroducing meat back into my lifestyle. At first, I kept getting sick because my stomach wasn't used to digesting meat. However, I was living in another country, and I didn't want this to stop me from enjoying the food here. I kept trying and trying all different kinds of meat until I got used to it.
Now I am able to eat most foods. I still have a huge preference for vegetarian dishes but South Korea taught me to just enjoy life and eat good food. So that's exactly what I'm doing.
