Can anyone actually recommend a school

  • 51 replies
  • 26655 views
*

paddyfields

Re: Can anyone actually recommend a school
« Reply #45 on: March 10, 2009, 03:31:36 PM »
Actually I have been here long B4 I reached Lin'An! bjbjbjbjbj Just "Aint said much yet"
« Last Edit: March 10, 2009, 06:03:26 PM by paddyfields »

*

Schnerby

  • *
  • 2402
Re: Can anyone actually recommend a school
« Reply #46 on: March 11, 2009, 01:59:09 AM »
My mistake. I thought he was dragging 'em out of the woodwork to clog our boards.  ahahahahah

To get back on topic, of course people can rrecommend some schools - but time and personal wants/needs mean what's right for one person can be very wrong for another.

Re: Can anyone actually recommend a school
« Reply #47 on: March 12, 2009, 08:09:22 PM »
Oh, Paddyfields has been here for a while. He's just been hiding in the corner, probably hunting Stil with a shil..err..shillel...huh...shillishsally....big Irish stick thingy. He is also the reason why the campus is now rife with rumours of my upcoming summer nuptials to a Chinese girl. Me..getting married...yeah, that's a possibility...NOT!!!
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination." Oscar Wilde.

"It's all oojah cum spiffy". Bertie Wooster.
"The stars are God's daisy chain" Madeleine Bassett.

*

paddyfields

Re: Can anyone actually recommend a school
« Reply #48 on: March 12, 2009, 09:25:49 PM »
You getting married? That was yesterdays rumour.... kkkkkkkkkk

*

Nolefan

  • Lord of Avalon
  • *****
  • 2571
  • 八九不离十
    • Catania Vibe
Re: Can anyone actually recommend a school
« Reply #49 on: March 12, 2009, 09:34:16 PM »
ahem.. ahem...  offtopic
alors régressons fatalement, eternellement. Des débutants, avec la peur comme exutoire à l'ignorance et Alzheimer en prof d'histoire de nos enfances!
- Random food, music and geek tales from the Catania, Sicily: http://ctvibe.com

*

Ruth

  • *
  • 3349
Re: Can anyone actually recommend a school
« Reply #50 on: April 22, 2009, 06:09:37 PM »
I can recommend 'my' uni as a great place to work.  As others have said, though, it suits me but it might not be for everyone. 

The salary is great by uni standards, but less than one can make in a language mill if one works hard.  My hours have varied from 8-14 per week in the 5 semesters I've been here.  My contract says 16/week (teaching hours of 45 minutes, that is).  The new dean seems to be trying to get more out of us, but hasn't tried to exceed the contract. There are growing pains and experiments in testing and teaching that we are working through, but the admin of the foreign language department seem to respect the opinions of the FTs and are now consulting us about courses and class arrangements. It's taken awhile, but I now feel as if I'm part of a team.

There are currently 5 FTs teaching English.  We teach Business English majors, Normal English majors and non-English majors.  Every semester is a crap-shoot regarding which classes we'll get.  In January we were asked what our areas of expertise are and what our preferences for teaching were.  They tried, but still not an ideal use of abilities (IMHO).  There's hope, though.  At least they are talking to us about it.  Students are mostly polite and keen.  Yes, we get the slackers, but they are in the minority.

A 2 bedroom apartment on campus is provided free of charge*.  Of the 4 homes I've had in China, it's my favorite. I pay for electricity, water, gas and internet.  No need for central heating as I'm in Dongguan in the deep south.  It's chilly for a few weeks in the winter (never frost) and we have a space heater, but rarely use it.  Of more concern is the stinking hot, humid summers.  Classrooms have ceiling fans and a fan the teacher can aim at his/her armpits, but it's still uncomfortable.  There are air cons in the bedrooms of my flat, but not in the rest of the house.  We have fans, that sorta help, but I have to say my energy level is sluggish from late May to late Sept.

Holidays - huge bonus of uni life.  Each semester is 20 weeks long, but I usually end up teaching only 16 of those weeks.  This semester I have to teach to week 18, but didn't begin with those students until week 3.  I'm usually free for 4-5 weeks over spring festival and about 9 weeks in the summer.  Pay shows up in my bank account 12 months a year.  One way air fare shows up at the end of each contract period.  Occasionally other money shows up in my bank account as bonuses (ie 3000 rmb in January for the new year).  Occasionally we are given cash as a bonus (most recently 300 rmb because our school did so well in last year's audit) and occasionally we are given store cards with 100-200 kuai on them (new years gift, teachers day gift, etc.)  All of these are lovely perks.

In the 'not for everyone' category, the campus is about an hour's bus ride out of the city proper.  Buses stop running about 9 at night, so if one likes to party in the wide variety of western bars and restaurants in the city, you are looking at a 50-60 kuai taxi ride home or finding a friend's couch in the city.  Shopping for western food is not a problem in DG proper.  Local shopping 10 minutes from campus provides almost everything we need.  There's a grocery store on campus too, but supplies are limited.

If you're interested - Dongguan University of Technology.

* I need to qualify that.  My husband and I are both teachers here and share an apartment.  I think the free rent is based on 2/apt.  If one wants to live alone I believe they charge half rent which is about 700/month.  I'm not sure about that though.  Not sure what they do if you are willing to share but there isn't anyone to share with.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2009, 06:16:32 PM by Ruth »
If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat.

*

synthette58

Re: Can anyone actually recommend a school
« Reply #51 on: June 01, 2009, 06:01:12 AM »
You getting married? That was yesterdays rumour.... kkkkkkkkkk

....as was ANYONE having a future here in Lin'an..........don't waste the printer ink.
Gone to the dogs - and the dogs have long fled the building, as has Elvis.
Rumours abound, and will so, long after our sad, sorry asses have left........

Life is a learning experience - that's why it's known as the 'Universe-ity'.....

As I stated to Con earlier...........'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'.
True enough, eh?

Sayonara.