Post by Kurochan on May 1, 2004 22:12:55 GMT 7
Hi --
It's my first posting in a long time, or maybe ever. You see, I lost my password for a while.
I have this dilemma I mentioned on Dave's board, and I don't know what to do about it. So let me recap it here, and people can tell me their thoughts about it.
OK, so while I've enjoyed teaching at Shenzhen U (despite its dubious reputation), I've had enough of it, and enough of Shenzhen. I applied to a few other schools. I got a job offer immediately from East China Normal University. It's for 12-16 teaching hours a week. At first, that sounded good, until I found out the salary was 7500, but just 4500 if I lived on campus! I thought about totally throwing over the offer, but then I found out the school is considered the best normal college in the country. It'd be cool, and interesting to teach at a top school. Some people say it'd be in my best interest to teach there, since maybe it'd help me get a job in the US later. Other people say since nobody in the US knows any universities other than Beida and Qinghua, it won't make any difference. Some people say I wouldn't be able to rent an apt and make ends meet on 7500, and other people say I would.
My other probable offer is from Guangxi University, 6500 a month, free accomodation, 18-20 hours a week. I don't know a lot about Nanning, but I'm going tomorrow to check it out. (I do know it has a lot of minorities in that area, which interests me, although I also know I hate the dirt and bugs of the countryside where they live.)
I'm trying to decide between the two. There are lots of factors involved. I worry a lot about money, and if I werent' saving money, I'd feel worried and depressed. I think I'd be hard pressed to spend much money in Nanning. On the other hand, I really want to get out and meet more people. I want cultural stuff, like movies and concerts. I want to meet cool people. I want to date. I'm thinking Shanghai would be much better for that. Also, if I taught 12 or 14 hrs a week, it probably wouldn't be hard for me to find some outside work and make more money. Right? I don't live a really wild lifestyle or anything -- I mean, I don't go out on weekends and spend a ton on beer or anything. Mostly, I like to buy clothes, dumb pencil boxes, see movies, and go to concerts.
It's hard for me to know what to do, and periodically I get really depressed, especially if I'm afraid I've made the wrong decision. So I don't know what to do.
(I'd thought about going back to the US too for a while, but I don't think I ready for that! )
I don't know -- what do you think I should do? I need change and activity, and to save a little money (more than 2,000 US a year would make me happy).
Any advice for your humble, freaking out, correspondent?
It's my first posting in a long time, or maybe ever. You see, I lost my password for a while.
I have this dilemma I mentioned on Dave's board, and I don't know what to do about it. So let me recap it here, and people can tell me their thoughts about it.
OK, so while I've enjoyed teaching at Shenzhen U (despite its dubious reputation), I've had enough of it, and enough of Shenzhen. I applied to a few other schools. I got a job offer immediately from East China Normal University. It's for 12-16 teaching hours a week. At first, that sounded good, until I found out the salary was 7500, but just 4500 if I lived on campus! I thought about totally throwing over the offer, but then I found out the school is considered the best normal college in the country. It'd be cool, and interesting to teach at a top school. Some people say it'd be in my best interest to teach there, since maybe it'd help me get a job in the US later. Other people say since nobody in the US knows any universities other than Beida and Qinghua, it won't make any difference. Some people say I wouldn't be able to rent an apt and make ends meet on 7500, and other people say I would.
My other probable offer is from Guangxi University, 6500 a month, free accomodation, 18-20 hours a week. I don't know a lot about Nanning, but I'm going tomorrow to check it out. (I do know it has a lot of minorities in that area, which interests me, although I also know I hate the dirt and bugs of the countryside where they live.)
I'm trying to decide between the two. There are lots of factors involved. I worry a lot about money, and if I werent' saving money, I'd feel worried and depressed. I think I'd be hard pressed to spend much money in Nanning. On the other hand, I really want to get out and meet more people. I want cultural stuff, like movies and concerts. I want to meet cool people. I want to date. I'm thinking Shanghai would be much better for that. Also, if I taught 12 or 14 hrs a week, it probably wouldn't be hard for me to find some outside work and make more money. Right? I don't live a really wild lifestyle or anything -- I mean, I don't go out on weekends and spend a ton on beer or anything. Mostly, I like to buy clothes, dumb pencil boxes, see movies, and go to concerts.
It's hard for me to know what to do, and periodically I get really depressed, especially if I'm afraid I've made the wrong decision. So I don't know what to do.
(I'd thought about going back to the US too for a while, but I don't think I ready for that! )
I don't know -- what do you think I should do? I need change and activity, and to save a little money (more than 2,000 US a year would make me happy).
Any advice for your humble, freaking out, correspondent?