Know Before You Go (TaLK Edition): Welcome to Jochiwon

I'm going to say this right of the bat: you are never going to be prepared for orientation. There's just no way, but there are a few things I can share with you that might make the roller coaster ride you're about to get on a little less scary and a whole lot more fun. My three weeks of national orientation were some of the best, most memorable weeks of my life. This does not mean orientation is some magical fantasy time where you get to party and hang out with two to three hundred other awesome people (although you will get to party and hang out), it's a time for growth, like the program states, you are there to teach and learn.

 So you just stepped off the longest flight (or close to the longest flight) of your life in Incheon Airport, you  probably haven't slept or if you have it was  uncomfortable/annoying airplane/airport sleep, and you've got a couple of hours of travel yet. You  might have a nice, relaxing bus ride to Jochiwon, or it might be something like this... oh, and by the way, all of the buses we had at orientation looked like they were from Aladdin.

Sejong Campus in Jochiwon

When you arrive at your orientation venue there will most likely be a banner on the front gate like this one, you'll turn into the campus and make your way up a winding road to the dormitories, which are in the picture below. Everyone will unload their luggage and drag it up the sidewalk, leave their suitcases in the lobby of one of the dormitories, and (depending on when you arrive) you'll either get checked in or go straight to dinner and then get checked in which will involve all those papers you were asked to make multiple copies of before hopping on your flight. Then you will have free time to get settled in until pre-orientation orientation.

View from Cafeteria Facing Boys Dorm 

Pre-orientation orientation (if that's a thing this year) is basically prepping you for the next three weeks and laying out all the rules for your Jochiwon stay. So let's recap... you've been traveling for at least a day, if not days, you've already experienced the muggy, late summer Korean air, you've eaten things you've never seen before, and you just had all the orientation rules laid out in one lecture. By this point you're either so exhausted you've been mentally dozing since dinner, or you're still riding the time change high. Either way, pace yourself. Getting used to a new country and a new continent takes time. 

First Orientation Meal

If your roommate hasn't arrived yet this is a great point to have some much needed down time alone, which you can use to figure out the internet situation. There is internet at Jochiwon, there are cables in each room and a password for wireless. I will warn you I had trouble streaming video once all 300 of my generation arrived, and websites like Netflix and Hulu do not work in Korea so you'll need to find a different way to watch your shows. If you'd rather be around people take a hike down to the convenience store at the bottom of the hill, otherwise known as "the Benches."  All Korean universities have curfews for their dormitories. Last August you had to be inside your respective dorm by 11pm and you were given basement time till midnight.

Group Two Coordinators Justin and Jasmine

Whatever you do utilize your coordinators, and the coordinators for the other groups, they're there to help. My coordinators were amazing and so was everyone else on the staff. All those questions you never thought you would have about what to do or where to go to, ask them. You'll have a foreign coordinator and a Korean coordinator. Most of the foreign coordinators (if not all) have previously taught in Korea. Korean coordinators are great for things only locals would know, like when your being ripped off or not.   

Domino's Pizza in South Korea

If you're having trouble adapting to the climate, culture, time difference, and food, don't worry. This is a huge change, and you might not love everything that's going on. I made a promise to myself the very first day in Korea to at least try everything once. By the end of the week I was in love with everything Korea from the food to the pop stars. Other people had a harder time adjusting, so we went to Domino's after dinner and had some good, old fashioned American food, eventually they came around to Korean cuisine and ended up having a really hard time switching back to American food. 

Josh and Flo at the Peach Festival

On the weekends you're allowed to leave overnight as long as you fill out a specific form and are back before curfew on Sunday night. If your generation is anything like 9th gen, fifty to seventy percent of the crowd will clear out on the weekends. My advice is stay behind, the cafeteria is quiet, the laundry room is empty, and there's great stuff like the peach festival to experience right at the bottom of the hill. Not only will you save money, you'll get precious alone time in your room, unless your roommate stays behind as well, and you get to attend free field trips put together by the TaLK staff each weekend. 

First and Second Graders

Overall be accepting and forgiving. Things are going to be crazy, and confusing, not just for you, but also for the staff and the program. Remember this is a government program, and then think about how you would expect things to go if it was your government running the show. TaLK puts a whole lot of trust in a few hundred foreigners who may or may not have any teaching experience to go into their schools and educate their children. The most important thing about orientation is remembering why you're really there, and if it's not the kids, maybe you need to rethink some things.