A Survival Guide to Moving Abroad and Teaching in South Korea

The Working Abroad Journey
The moment I knew that working abroad was something I wanted to try I did as much research as I possibly could. As I fell in love with the dream and the idea, I knew I had to be realistic about what I wanted and how I was going to achieve that goal. I started off with watching a lot of videos on YouTube and I mean A LOT. One thing I noticed was most of the vloggers that were posting mostly had videos speaking about the positive aspects of being in Korea which I found very intriguing. One thing I didn’t see much of was advice on all the things that can also go wrong in Korea when you get there. The more research I did the more I realized that there were not as many articles or vlogs talking about the negatives of living in another country especially Korea. I believe personally that perspective is key, and it is very important to have multiple viewpoints on a specific life decision. The good, bad, and ugly details of living abroad have one thing in common, and that is they are all very important information that we need to know before getting to our destination.
Research
I would always recommend doing the most research you possibly can on the country of your choice but not only that, get out there and speak to people who have done it. Nothing beats having that face to face interaction where you can get the answers to the details you are looking for. It is great to be able to watch the reaction and body language of a person when they speak about their experience. There is a lot of pressure put on vloggers to speak mostly about their positive experiences because they are in fear that they may be scrutinized by other people or their peers, or that maybe their co workers will catch a glimpse of the horrible things they are saying behind their back, and who wouldn’t fear that? However, there are the few articles that will tell you all the bad and not give any solutions as to how to handle them. Either way it is better to be prepared for anything rather than be on cloud 9 and not prepared if things are the opposite of what you expected and your already there. The last thing anyone wants is to be disappointed with their living conditions when your already far away from home, spent your last dollars to get there, and your all alone.
Join A Group
My next recommendation is to have a support group before you even exit the country. Join Facebook groups that have people from the country you are going to so that you can get support, make new friends, and find out the latest news going on in that country. It’s a great way to network and meet new people outside of wherever you are placed in that country. Join those groups well in advance so you have time to socialize online and read articles about what is currently happening in the country. The people you speak with may also have great advice on how to get settled in, what to do about getting certain necessities like a phone service, and fun activities to do in your area.

Visualize, Get in Touch with the Culture
Something I wish I did more of was trying to visualize myself in that country. I did a lot of research and watched a lot of videos but I did not submerge myself in the culture as much as I could have. I didn’t take the time to watch the movies and listen to the music to see if it was something I would be able to tolerate for an entire year. Also, get yourself on a foreign food diet. Whatever country you decide to go to make sure you can try the food and get familiar with the smells, tastes, textures, and names. That will help you settle in more than you will ever think and trust me you will thank yourself later. It will also help you to get a climate for what type of food you will get on a regular basis and if you think it is something you can eat for a whole year. Food is one of the biggest things in culture shock, so it is important to try as much as you can before you get there. Go to restaurants serving the food as often as you can, learn to cook some of the food at home, read up on recipes and how the food is made just so you are sure there are no ingredients your body may not agree with, and most importantly check for allergies and if the food made has those ingredients you may be allergic to in them ahead of time. This will make it easier to know what you want when you get to that country and the language barrier won’t cause any surprises when you get your food.
Questions
Although no amount of questions in the world can fully prepare you for moving across the planet, it is still important to come up with a list of vital questions that you should be asking your recruiters or whoever is looking out for you when you go to that country. There is no such thing as a stupid question, ask, ask, ask. Anything you have concerns about, anything you may be uncomfortable with, or unsure about just ask and you never know what the outcome may be. That one question could save your experience and your sanity!
Travelling to that Country
I think one thing that I never really considered was going to the country I was planning to live in for a whole year. As much as it is an adventure to go somewhere new and live there, that country may not be for everyone, and the very people that tell you they had an amazing time may have a very different experience than you. I especially believe that sometimes another person’s fascination with a place may not be the same for you. Some people are very in tune with certain cultures and love everything about it, while with others that may not be the case. If you are going somewhere you are unsure about and you don’t know if you will like the culture, and if your serious about moving there, I would suggest going to that country first to visit. This will help you to adapt much faster and get used to the smells, language, lifestyle, customs and all that comes with the country. If you are not able to find the time to go somewhere particularly far first, I would suggest going a week or more in advance before your actual contract date and before orientation so that you are able to look around and feel things out. If the place is too overwhelming or you are not enjoying it, you can at least quickly get out before you get sucked in too deep and feel like you are losing too much if you want to leave later. If you can’t go in advance then prepare yourself for both the good and bad that come with living somewhere new and don’t hesitate to leave if you really don’t feel like you can handle staying in that country for too long. Give yourself some time if the place is not what you expect, and you feel like going home, sometimes you could just be homesick and experiencing culture shock. If the feeling persists after a few months, then you will have to really consider what would work best for you. The best thing to do is try something before cancelling it out, but, if its not for you then don’t force things or your time will be miserable. If you do consider yourself unhappy in this place and you want to return home, speak to family and friends first maybe they can give you some encouragement, have a plan so you can go home to a place to live and some money in your pocket, and try to do some job hunting while you are abroad to find another opportunity somewhere else. Always listen to your intuition if things don’t feel right. There will always be more opportunities elsewhere that you can consider and try again.
Not Listening Solely to the Opinions of Others
I get it and I completely understand why when someone tells you to try the best smoothie they ever had you would want to try it too, but just remember, not everyone’s taste is going to be your taste. Some people may tell you it was the best time of their lives while others may tell you they hated it, but either way no one can tell you how to feel. Some things in life you have to just try for yourself to see. Don’t let one person’s good or bad experience deter or push you in anyway. Your experience must be your own and you will have to go there for yourself to see if it is something you will enjoy or not. To save yourself time and money I would suggest a lot and I mean A LOT of self reflection to see if this is something you are comfortable with and that you see yourself doing. You must bare in mind that while you are away you will miss a lot of events, family time, and memories that you could have had if you were home and you need to be prepared for that. Being far away from family and friends for a long time is not easy and it can take a toll after a while on your emotional well being. Be prepared to experience ups and downs with living far away and seeing your friends live their lives without you. Do as much soul searching as you can and really decide if this decision would be right for you. If it isn’t that’s okay too. Just know that we all have our own calling and we are not all the same. So, if it doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t the right thing for you and it is time to go find out what is.
Get Documents Ready
The most stressful part of moving abroad is getting all the documents you need. I will never forget the constant trips to the embassy and constantly running around to get passport pictures, documents, photocopies, notarized documents and of course the TESOL certificate since I was a teacher. Your recruiter will tell you exactly what you need and although this process is time consuming it was a joy every time I got closer to getting my Korean Visa. Make sure you follow all of your recruiter’s instructions and if you are not using a recruiter write everything down and keep track of the list of documents on the embassy’s website that you will need. You will always need a passport that is up to date so don’t ever lose it, be sure to have extra passport photos and enough money to pay for the visa. Make sure your TESOL certificate is legitimate and accepted by your recruiter and be sure to have the original copy. It will be required that you bring the original copy with you to the country you are going to.
Throw a Party
I think in life we should have any reason to throw a party and what better reason then you deciding to run away for a whole year? Your family and friends will appreciate the quality time they have with you and it will allow you to have those memories with you while you are away. It’s a great time to also drink and live it up with familiar faces before you are submerged into another place where all your party partners will be strangers for the most part. Enjoy to the fullest.
Don’t Tell Everyone Too Soon
People have a way of looking at the negative side of things before supporting us when making major decisions like moving which can be discouraging. The best thing to do is so tell people when everything is finalized so that you won’t change your mind if negative comments start to come your way. The less time people have to discourage you the better. Sometimes the best plans are the ones left unsaid until the time is right. Trust me there are a lot of dream killers out there and those people will truly show themselves in situations like this. The naysayers may come in the form of family, friends, romantic relationships or even workmates so just be careful how you approach telling people the news. It is still important to listen if someone may have a valuable concern about where you are going as they might know some information that you don’t. Keep an open ear, but your final decision should only be your own.

What You Will Do When You Return
I know a year sounds like an eternity when you finally make up your mind and decide to do the big move, but really it isn’t. Time goes by very fast when your having fun right? And even faster when you are busy which trust me teaching abroad will keep you on your toes and yes, your eyes will be droopy most of the time. No worries though you will have time to relax and enjoy yourself on weekends and that will make all the difference. A piece of advice I saw time and time again on blogs was don’t waste time while abroad. It is best to use the time and opportunity to really think about your future and what goals you would like to set upon your return. With time comes great ideas so brainstorm, keep a journal, keep a vision board, and continue to plan out how you see your life in the next few years. Although teaching abroad gives you a lot of experience, sometimes your return home may not be as smooth as you think and you may find yourself in the rat race of finding a job with thousands of other people all over again. Finding a job takes time so be sure to have a plan where you can make money for yourself or have some type of savings that you can use as a cushion when the phone calls for interviews don’t come rolling in. Also look at what your experience teaching abroad can do for you in the work force when you return. Is it something that will be of any benefit to you? Or is it just a good getaway plan from your annoying parents? Either way it is important to plan and make sure that you are not just going to waste time and end up stuck when you return. If you have a business you want to start, be sure to plan it out while you are away so that when you come back you can start immediately. If you have a certain career you want to get into do your research while you are away so that you know what to look for when you return. Hell, I would even suggest applying to jobs before you return, not too far in advance of course the last thing you want is to get a call from a great company and have to make excuses for why you can’t make the interview, but plan ahead. Plan to go back to school after? Be sure to stay up to date on what is going on at that school and pay attention to deadline dates for applications, so you don’t miss a thing and you can enroll as soon as you get back. I say all these things to say, have your stuff together so you’re not crying to your mom a few months after you returned because you have no money and no plan.

Save, Save, Save
Money is always important and that is the main reason you chose to work abroad right? Even if your going just for the experience it doesn’t hurt to have something stacked up in your bank account. The best thing for me with working in Korea was the free rent, so be sure to take advantage of that and do not spend all your money on partying and eating out. The last thing you want is to return home with nothing. Avoid eating out too often, usually you will have burners in your apartment or a stove where you can cook some simple meals to survive on. Also, you can buy a rice cooker, so you can make as much rice as you want, which is always a life saver. In my experience, Korea had a lot of parties going on all the time and I met a lot of other teachers and foreigners who enjoy partying. Although it is important to go out and enjoy yourself don’t get caught up in partying every weekend and spending all your money on taxi rides and liquor. Costs will add up and you will be surprised how little you would have saved upon your return. Go out maybe twice a month and limit the eating out and you will be on your way to being a well off foreigner by the end of the year. If you don’t feel like you need to save than do as you please but make sure you have some comfortable savings when you go back home and can’t get a job right away.

Foreigners
You will be considered a part of the expat community which means more than likely you will make friends everywhere you go. In my experience Koreans were not the type to really approach unless they had a few drinks at a party so don’t expect every local to come up to you and say hi. A lot of locals were actually very shy and if they don’t speak English they will be intimidated by you. Just be pleasant at all times because you are representing where you are from and the last thing you want is to give off a bad impression. You will however, meet a lot of people from other countries who are not shy at all and would want to approach you and become friends. It is a nice feeling to meet other friendly people like yourself but be aware that sometimes people have other intentions apart from just being friends. Be careful with your belongings if you had some drinks and make sure you take a cab home, do not take rides from strangers if you are alone. In my experience Korea is generally a very safe place but sometimes things can happen anywhere in the world no matter how safe. Other than that, enjoy being a part of a close knitted community, make friends, smile, and be open. You will make some amazing long lasting friendships and memories. If you are a person of color you may experience racism at times. It can be subtle or it can be obvious. Even people who are not of colour have experienced it as well. Just like anywhere else, being different can sometimes draw attention and people will stare or point at you. It does take some getting used to but keep confident and don’t hiss at everyone who looks at you the wrong way. Just expect it and accept it. If anyone says anything rude and inappropriate be sure to exit the conversation and do not allow anything to escalate. If you are working with someone and they say something racist then be sure to let them know how it makes you feel and move on. Sometimes people have no filter and may say things that you don’t expect or that may sound rude, but it is not always intended to be that way. Some cultures are different and may cause some to be less polite according to our culture in North America. Take things with a grain of salt and communicate how you feel. They will get it. It is important to try and follow customs as you are the visitor, so do your best to learn the right things to say and the right actions in moments where you are in a social setting. That will save you in more instances than you think.

Learn the Language
It is so important to know the language in the country you will be living in as it will make the transition that much easier. There are plenty of language apps that you can use to learn basic phrases and words. If you know someone that is Korean, you could ask them to teach you some words that would assist you with getting around in South Korea. There are also pen pals and language exchange programs online where you can video call with someone who knows the language you want to learn and in return you can teach them English, a win win! The lettering is very different in terms of reading and writing so that will take a while to learn and I don’t mean a few weeks, but it is something you never have to learn if you don’t want to. Just learn the basics like “hello”, “thank you”, along with other basic phrases and you will be surprised at how quickly you will start to learn the language just from being there and hearing people speak. You could also wait until you get to Korea to do a language exchange course. Taking a language exchange course is a great way to meet new people and make some new Korean friends, so I would highly recommend it.