Teaching Abroad: Preparation Checklist

Erik Episcopo · Post by **Erik Episcopo** » September 21st, 2014, 11:43 pm

Hey Everyone,

Preparing to work abroad can be a pain in the ass. I made a lot of mistakes during my preparation for Taiwan that made life more difficult. I wanted to share some of my mistakes with you, so you guys are better prepared to work abroad.

1. Bring your transcripts and degree
You never know if you might want to study abroad. Having these documents on hand makes it a lot easier to apply. Since I didn't bring mine I had to request them from my university which was a hassle and took over a month to receive.

2. Apply for an international Driver's License
If I had this when I came to Taiwan I could of applied for a Taiwanese driver's license. Since I didn't have an international driver's license, I had to wait a year before I could apply for a Taiwanese one. I ended up driving illegally for a year. (shhhh don't tell)

For more tips on preparing to teach abroad, check out this teaching abroad preparation checklist

Hero · Post by **Hero** » September 22nd, 2014, 3:38 am

Why do you need a driver's license in a foreign country? Most of them have decent enough public transportation. I hope that I never have to drive in a city like Beijing or Cebu.

Ghost · Post by **Ghost** » September 22nd, 2014, 6:15 am

Erik Episcopo · Post by **Erik Episcopo** » September 22nd, 2014, 7:42 am

Great question!

When I came to Taiwan I was placed in a suburb of Taipei with little public transportation. However, I had to work at three different branches at opposites ends of town. I didnt want to get a scooter, but it became a necessity. After I got the hang of it, I quite enjoyed having a scooter. Taking weekend drives up mountains to secluded temples is a great experience.

I agree with both of you that public transportation out here is great. Yet, having a license allows you to explore places you couldn't reach with public transportation.

Thanks for the comments!

KokujinKrusader · September 22nd, 2014, 9:37 am

Erik Episcopo wrote:Great question!

When I came to Taiwan I was placed in a suburb of Taipei with little public transportation. However, I had to work at three different branches at opposites ends of town. I didnt want to get a scooter, but it became a necessity. After I got the hang of it, I quite enjoyed having a scooter. Taking weekend drives up mountains to secluded temples is a great experience.

I agree with both of you that public transportation out here is great. Yet, having a license allows you to explore places you couldn't reach with public transportation.

Thanks for the comments!

I have to agree with this. Between Taiwan, China, and Japan, Taiwan seemed to be the place where having your own mode of transportation would be the most beneficial. living in a smaller town or in the countryside in China or Japan would probably require having your own transportation as well.

Erik Episcopo · Post by **Erik Episcopo** » September 22nd, 2014, 5:40 pm

Exactly! You never know where you will end up.
Thanks for the comment!

zboy1 · Post by **zboy1** » September 23rd, 2014, 4:40 am

If you're in China or Korea, it makes no sense to buy a car since the public transportation is so numerous and new. You can pretty much go anywhere throughout those countries, without a car.

Erik Episcopo · Post by **Erik Episcopo** » September 23rd, 2014, 7:20 am

Thanks for the comment Zboy. I would also not recommend buying a car. However there might be some instances where you might want to rent a car for a weekend. When my family(4 people not including me) came to visit Taiwan we decided to visit Taroko Gorge. We could of taken a series of buses and trains, but it was more convenient to rent a car.