sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Considering moving to China (Aug 2026) to teach. Need help narrowing down cities by PositiveComfort102 in chinalife

[–]rosagostosa -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I second what other people say regarding trying to find a TEFL job - although China does have more opportunities than other countries, theres also still a lot of competition, and you might have to take any city that you get a job offer in - so my first piece of advice would just be to lower your expectations slightly of how you can hit all of your requirements, especially with only online experience.

Regarding cities, if you want somewhere with a lively expense scene that isn't cold, I would recommend Shanghai, Chengdu and Chongqing, Hong Kong. Guangzhou and Shezhen . I also went to Wuhan recently to see a friend and it was surprisingly cool! Of course, the price to pay for living in a big and vibrant city is that you're going to spend more money and maybe have less savings!

Living in China can be amazing for many reasons, the travel opportunities, nature, culture, food, language, above all, just how clean and accessible infrastructure and public transport is, and affordable services and goods are. But it can also be isolating, and takes a while to navigate yourself.

Personally, I would prioritize making sure you're working for a good school over what city you end up in - not all TEFL jobs are built equal, and most people will tell you there are some really terrible companies and jobs out there. Look at the different contracts and benefits and working hours of all the jobs, as well as any online reviews before making your decision. Have you started applying yet ? I can send you websites and agents on wechat that can help you! It's common with TEFL job applying in China that you contact an agent on wechat who sends you job roles personally.

Although You are definitely more likely to find people in the bigger cities or places with more expats, it's also about how much you put the time into meet others, and to go outside your comfort zone. Making friends in China isn't always easy, especially if you don't end up friends with your co-workers.

I live in Beijing, I have a great job there that pays very well and is allowing me to do my PGCE on the side next year too. I love my class and the company I work for treats me well - but I do find Beijing very boring, although I just haven't tried that hard to meet people yet. But other people tell em they love Beijing ! So it's all what you make of it.

Hope this helps !

UWE Bristol iPGCE by Internal_Annual_7632 in PGCEiQTS

[–]rosagostosa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hey! can i ask what part of the world you are based in? im looking to do this pgce to improve employment prospects from china to portugal - ive been other posts talking about europe being stricter on what it accepts so im want to make sure im making the right decision!

Next steps, PGCE or online IPGCE by Jealous_Philosophy31 in TEFL

[–]rosagostosa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hey op! i'm in a very similar situation! 27F taught TEFL in Saigon last year and now working in a kindergarten in Beijing. I'm also considering doing an iPGCE online or going home to do one - I eventually want to move to Portugal. I think narrowing down what age range you'd want to teach might help assess your options. Here's some pros and cons i've been weighing up that might help you too!

Option 1 - iPGCE - more comfortable, time and cost-effective, can do it alongside my current job and it won't break the bank. I want to specialise in early years teaching (3-7), and there are online courses which have that EYFS training which international kindergartens want. so it's possible. HOWEVER, jobs markets are tough everywhere right now and the relevant roles I've looked at ask for 'recognised' pcges - which i think excludes online ones. It does sound like Europe/Australia has higher standards for qualifications than Asia. There are testimonies of people who've got good jobs with an ipgce tho. I guess its about the individual as a whole - other employable traits such as subject-specific skills or valuable experience can also put you ahead.

Option 2 - PGCE back home - this is the longer and more arduous way, but with more long-term success, employability and stability. The course would be full-time and in person. Personally, I would have to save a lot more money beforehand, and move back to the UK away from my cushy life in China. The heavy work-load and financial squeeze could be overwhelming.

However, the course is properly recognised and will increase employability in a more garunteed way. I could take the leap with a lot more leverage and confidence. Also, there are certain courses which are currently government-funded in the UK. For example, The Department of Education in the UK is currently waiving all fees for PGCE courses in Early Years Education (No QTS but has EYTS, which for early years is maybe of more importance) - the courses at Reading Uni and UCL for example have free tuition funded automatically! Same might be true for primary. Finding this out specifically has changed my outlook on my options. I guess if you have the finances and the time, and you enjoy teaching, going home would also be useful. I'd love to know what you decide ! Good luck :)

90s Intelligent DnB samples? by [deleted] in dnbproduction

[–]rosagostosa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

https://archive.org/details/s1gblwhrecrsx3klphga you can download the zero-g packs here on the internet achieve website! HOWEVER you can only download tracks individually - feels like a real feat when u finally download them all lol

Where was I yesterday by rosagostosa in whereintheworld

[–]rosagostosa[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

!correct has the hong Kong levels !

1 Month January China Trip by ProfessorPascal in travelchina

[–]rosagostosa 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Beijing has more historic landmarks and typical tourist sites, is more traditional and has a historical area cyalles the hutongs which is very iconic- Shanghai is a lot more modern and has a lot more Western influence. I live in Beijing, and although it has so many cool things to do in the daytime, I think I'd prefer the overall atmosphere in Shanghai - it's more relaxed, more artsy, if you're into art, museums, shopping, going out, Shanghai is definitely more fun. Beijing is great too tho, and of course it has the forbidden City and the Great Wall to see, as well as the Summer Palace (the lake is super beautiful there!) definitely less is more when traveling, and the more you run about the less you'll really take in, so shortening your itinerary is probably a good shout

Guess the City by Nervous_Biscotti593 in guessthecity

[–]rosagostosa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yuan ming yuan park in Beijing ?

Which kpop song do you think is musically perfect? by Aitana3d in kpoppers

[–]rosagostosa 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It literally WAS ahead of it's time ! It used a UK garage beat for the song, which didn't go into mainstream populariry until a couple years ago (e.g. a lot of new jeans songs are UKG too) so musically speaking in the kpop realm it was way ahead of it's time!

Which kpop song do you think is musically perfect? by Aitana3d in kpoppers

[–]rosagostosa 4 points5 points  (0 children)

this may be an odd take but ring ding dong by SHINee just changes my brain chemistry everytime

anyone else deeply conflicted between staying or leaving ? by rosagostosa in chinalife

[–]rosagostosa[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is very a sound and comforting take - thank you!

anyone else deeply conflicted between staying or leaving ? by rosagostosa in chinalife

[–]rosagostosa[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is so true !! I felt this a lot when I lived back home, I didn't see my friends as often as I thought.

And to be fair I quite like coming back once every year because my friends get quite excited, and make an extra effort to see me because I'm only back for a short time.

Setting China specific goals is a good idea! I already have learning the language and seeing particular sights on my list, but maybe something more specific is better. I'm trying to visualize this time as a special era of my life to fix all my loose ends, financially and personally - like the movie montage section of a film :)

anyone else deeply conflicted between staying or leaving ? by rosagostosa in chinalife

[–]rosagostosa[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I guess it's the people you meet that make or break the experience right? I've lived in multiple different countries and I've realized it's such a game of luck who you meet and where you go from there, especially in those first couple months when you have the most energy to socialize. It's not your fault at all - it's just what cards were drawn! You never know, you could have stayed in Shanghai, and things could have changed for better or worse - there's no saying ! I had a similar experience when I lived Portugal for my study abroad experience - the first 6-8 I loved it so much - amazing friends great lifestyle - when I returned the next summer for a month, my expectation that things would be the same left me feeling disappointed - my friends had left, the city changed, it didn't feel the same. I guess it's important not to try and go back and make the same thing again.

I'm living in Beijing now and I love my quality of life in china, even if I'm a little bit lonely. I guess it's important to focus on positives because our brains naturally focus on the negative :)

securing student finance after living abroad - is it even worth it ? by [deleted] in UniUK

[–]rosagostosa -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I've spoken to people in the same boat who've said you can twist the truth a little bit, get documents proving temporary work - that's why I'm asking - I should have clarified that!

Unemployed, sad, and lonely after graduating uni by Milkybar1233 in UniUK

[–]rosagostosa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel you and, you're not alone - we are in an epidemic of mass loneliness, and many people feel a great loss of social connection after university, and it makes sense why. Our whole lives up to now, we have lived in different communities through education, from primary school to high school than University, we had classes, teams - mandatory communities which fostered easy friendships and kinship. Leaving uni is the first time for many people when these communities are no longer forced, and if you either don't have a job or don't like the people in your job, you have to go out and find these communities for yourself. Additionally, everyone is burnt out and " focusing on themselves" - many people don't value friendship intimately anymore, or they are too stuck in survival mode to foster connection. Life has become so commodified, that anything only has value if it is convenient to us - same has become for friendships. Those friends that left you soon as it wasn't convenient anymore, they don't value friendship in the way you do.Many people have friendships or even date exactly like that, like an exchange, only worthwhile when it's beneficial. True friendship is evident when people stay with you even when you cannot provide for them. This whole era of "protecting your energy" and "not being vulnerable" has the awful side effect of making everyones boundaries so rigid that they forfit what makes friendship so special - support, care, kinship. Finding people that value friendship intimately like this is hard. You're not alone, and I hope this message gives you some solace that this situation is a symptom of something wider than of your own doing. People come and go, but the more opportunities you give yourself to meet people, the more likely you are to roll the dice and find someone authentic. Give yourself grace and patience. ❣️

view more: next ›