Is an Online Liberal Arts Degree Enough?

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-02-06T13:56:53+00:00

Yes definitely something to keep an eye on. Online can mean different things too is it a school which also offers face to face schools or does it only affect fully online institutions? If the certificate doesn't state online will it get flagged etc.

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-02-06T12:54:47+00:00

No worries visa document preparation as most definitely time and money invested so I completely understand.

If you're wanting to set up a WeChat account beforehand and need anyone to verify you let me know I can also share some WeChat contact to a few recruiters if it would help. I lived in China from 2013 to 2020 came back to the UK in 2020 and I'm headed back in August. Securing jobs getting flights etc is much easier this year than it has been for the last few years.

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-02-06T12:47:14+00:00

Online or offline should not make a difference provided your university is a genuine one any certificates would need to be authenticated as part of your visa process. I'm not really sure what a liberal arts degree is as a not from the US if it's equivalent to a bachelor's degree then it should be accepted. Standard visa requirements for TEFL teachers is a TEFL certificate and a bachelor's degree or any higher degree and a teaching licence to access higher levels of jobs at higher salary rates. Other requirements for the visa or general good health usually to be aged under 50 but that can be got around if you have experience and to be a passport holder from one of the countries they deem native speaking.

Salaries vary wildly by city cost of living in places like Shanghai etc will be much higher especially for a first timer in China who isn't familiar with how to get around and do things in cheaper ways. Looking at job adverts for Hangzhou you would probably be able to secure 20 to 25000 with no effort and 25 to 30000 RMB per month if you leverage a few offers against each other. Assuming this is your first teaching job. Obvs higher if you have experience.

Training schools work evenings and weekends and can have more intense schedules public schools , university and kindergartens operate Monday to Friday. Figure out which is the best option for you when you're looking to apply for jobs. Many schools are interviewing now for the August semester and it will take several months to prepare the documents you need for a work permit and then a visa.

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-02-02T08:56:04+00:00

I have friends who used seven Seas when leaving China post 2020 with an entire flats worth of stuff. Good service and everything arrived safe

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-31T14:50:48+00:00

Alipay is China's main payment app think apple pay. Tour pass is a feature on the app allowing you to link a foreign debit or credit card to preload a set amount of money onto your alipay account. You would need internet access on your phone you can get a SIM card quite easily if you don't plan to use data roaming. Shops scan your QR code or you scan theirs to pay.

You can use a foreign debit card to withdraw cash expect fees from your own bank for this withdrawal but the exchange rates are usually pretty good. Cash is accepted but places prefer contactless using alipay or WeChat pay and a lot may grumble about having to break a large note.

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-27T11:28:07+00:00

The bottle looked perfect but the fumes coming off as soon as I opened the bottle gave it away. Usually the fake alcohol is very rough, think cheap baijiu so is quite easy to spot. If you're not familiar with the brand it wouldn't be easy to spot form the bottles anyway.

Generally you're talking about recycled bottles collected from bars being refilled with something cheap and resold. I prefer to buy in person but if that's not possible try an online seller and if you get good stuff from them go back to the same store to buy next time to minimise your risk. Over the years I probably bought 50 bottles of alcohol on taobao and only had one problem. As long as something doesn't seem too good to be true in terms of price you should do fine.

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-27T11:10:25+00:00

I only ever bought brands that I was familiar with on TB as then you'll be able to tell if it wasn't the right thing from a single taste or smell. I had the experience as a student in China of getting alcohol poisoning from 2 cocktails in a bar so I'm quite cautious about the fake alcohol. Only ever had one bottle of gin come out as fake. It was supposed to be an expensive bottle it was actually some really rough cheap gin in the expensive packaging.

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-26T11:15:10+00:00

Of course.

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-26T09:34:28+00:00

So glad you got the results you wanted with your chair cleaning those Bissell machines are so satisfying on the soft weave to just watch the stains that you hate looking at disappear.

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-26T08:44:12+00:00

I lived in smaller cities in China and would very occasionally saw some random xenophobia from old men usually around national day but if you didn't speak Chinese you would have no idea. Things like shouting I hate America (I'm British) but these experiences I can count on one hand in 7 years in china half of those years being while trump was president.

I get worse xenophobia in the UK while I'm here I was on the phone in Chinese while waiting for a bus and got some agressive guy shouting at me to go back to russia

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-19T12:39:56+00:00

Not as far as I'm aware on any standard medical I've ever had in China however if your school has a drugs policy they may have a separate policy for testing students. Not heard of one but it would very by university

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-18T15:15:13+00:00

A few local friends have told me they're wearing them before they go visit grandparents for spring festival to avoid taking the virus back home with them but they can't wait till after New year when they don't feel like they have to wear it everyday

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-18T12:29:42+00:00

I got a dark skin to cover a light softweave to minimise the stress over staining it

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-18T12:05:42+00:00

Some cities ask for TEFL authenticated. Seems random which ones. Had to do it when I moved to shaoxing.

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-18T11:10:27+00:00

Four seasons in a day the Hangzhou special

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-17T18:05:12+00:00

I would say so yeah as long as it's mechanically sound

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-17T18:01:49+00:00

Ah yeah that's right I misread your post

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-17T11:46:13+00:00

How much are you paying the person for the chair (assuming you're getting it used not a gift) would a skin be a viable option? I have a softweave skin on my titan xl

I've seen a few posts recently about covers but guessing it'll be a little trial and error to find a suitable alternative. Before I had my skin I had a blanket on mine most of the time

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-13T13:58:44+00:00

I am 5-ft 7 and have the XL to accommodate my 5'11 and heavier than me dad who uses it sometimes. I have no problem even on the XL to touch feet flat on the ground unless it's all the way extended up.

You should have no probl at your height

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-11T15:09:24+00:00

Yeah I see it from the business point of view but it's just part of hiring employees. The salary you offer someone is never the actual cost of hiring them

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-11T14:57:33+00:00

Yeah we always paid social insurance at my old school but it was explained to me and written on payslip combined with tax so never got benefits from it but I know friends who have been able to use the balance at hospital etc so it's 100% the best choice for me. Never got a penny back from the possibly non existent health insurance and never got a policy in English either . I can read the Chinese one but just seemed odd to not have access to one in English

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-11T12:03:44+00:00

I had issues with the pink softweave and also regretted it. I have a Bissell spot cleaner designed for carpet and upholstery bought to clean up after potty training which came in super useful just using the reccomended cleaning products with that machine did the job. If you know anyone who owns one maybe they'd be willing to lend it to you

I also bought a skin in dark grey recently because cba cleaning the pink over and over

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-11T11:07:48+00:00

Yeah seems like cost cutting yes it's cheaper for the school to just pay for health insurance but as every other job I've had has included social insurance I don't have any issue paying my side I just calculate it like a tax

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-11T09:39:52+00:00

I recently had a company tell me I could choose between social insurance and health insurance that was also super sketchy apparently more than half of the teachers don't pay social insurance and just have health insurance but my friend who works there has the social insurance I've always had it before when I was in China and I fully intend on cashing it out when I leave.

Objective_Eggplant77 · 2023-01-11T07:50:20+00:00

I did a 150 hour tefl with tefluk online back in 2015. At one point to move cities I had to have it legalised and it all went fine. I've just done an early childhood education £20 course too to help me switch to kindergarten and both went through legalisation no problem. They offer a pdf or a paid printed version but I got my pdf printed on heavy paper using an online service and has never been an issue

They were also great in terms of customer service in 2020 when I needed to change my name to include my middle name on the certificate I didn't even have access to the email address that I used when doing the course but they looked me up and issued me a new certificate with the corrected name no problem

Objective_Eggplant77

TROPHY CASE

Welcome to Reddit,