Rocky Starts: How to get ready for EPIK orientation

Your first week as an EPIK teacher won’t see you teaching classes. Instead, it’ll be more like you’re the student. Learn how to get ready for EPIK orientation with this guide…

When you first arrive in South Korea, EPIK won’t dump you in a random city straightaway. EPIK won’t leave you to fend for yourself (unless you’re on the late intake – read more here). Instead, you’ll be whisked off to orientation. This is a week-long, intensive initiation into the country.

From Incheon airport, orientation leaders will transport you to a university campus to begin a period of learning and socialising. To sum it up, you’ll live in a bubble of English speakers for six days. At the end, then and only then, will you be dumped in the middle of nowhere, to experience real Korean life. It’s an exhausting week. However, it is only a small slice of your EPIK career, so embrace all the experiences and characters who come your way. If you’re still feeling nervous and you’re not sure what to expect at EPIK orientation, read ahead…

Check out the EPIK website here for the latest rules and news about orientation!

1. Structure
2. Timetable
3. Living conditions
4. 10 Quick tips

1. Structure

The EPIK programme is always subject to change from year to year and from intake to intake. I journeyed to EPIK orientation in 2022, just as Covid restrictions were lifting. South Korea still very much expected mask-wearing at all times. Plus, we had to isolate ourselves in our rooms until our PCR test results were confirmed. This might have made for a slightly different orientation experience. Despite these quirks, there are still some common features in all EPIK orientations. Therefore, I’m here to warn you of some important parts of the initiation that you should learn to expect. 

How is the cohort divided?

First off, my intake was split into two large teams. These two teams followed schedules that started and ended at different times. This staggered timetable allowed mealtimes and break times to be less crowded. Howevere, it also meant I rarely saw one-half of the EPIK teachers at orientation. Within these two teams, the intake was split into smaller groups based on province.

Group Leader

Each group had a team leader – a person who is usually a friendly, college-aged student, ready to answer all your questions. Most of the leaders will likely speak English and Korean. This means they can help you with any queries you might have. Unfortunately, one thing they can’t tell you is exactly where you’re placed in Korea. You’ll only find this out at the end of the week. Nonetheless, getting to know the people in your group is a great idea. They might only be the city over from you or a subway ride away.

Who is in your group?

The folks in your group are the people you’ll attend each class with, do your lesson demonstration in front of and experience all the enrichment exercises with so you’ll be spending a lot of time with them. However, this doesn’t mean they’ll be the only people you’ll meet. Don’t be afraid to approach people outside your group at orientation, too.

Health Check

Second, you’ll be expected to do a full health check when you arrive at orientation. This will be one of the first tasks that you’ll complete before starting all your classes. And when I say full health check-up, I mean full. Everything from blood tests to looking at your hearing to peeing in a cup and letting them drug test you. Individually, the health check shouldn’t take too long but you won’t be able to eat or drink beforehand. Warning: the health check will involve needles, so prepare yourself. When I performed my check-up everyone lined up and visited different stations to test various areas of our health, ending with an x-ray. Screening everybody in the intake took all morning and everyone was relieved when it was over. Little did they know the fun of orientation was just beginning. 

2. Timetable

The EPIK orientation timetable is intense. You’ll be running on nerves and excitement. I wouldn’t be surprised if you crash completely once you arrive at your apartment at the end of the week. You’ll have a packed timetable of classes and enrichment events. Plus, you’ll spend your evenings lesson prepping for your demonstration. Not to mention that you might still be fighting off jet lag. Don’t be afraid to take rests when you need to and make good use of the convenience store onsite to stock up on coffee and sugar. Okay, are you awake now? Let’s talk about what you should expect from your EPIK timetable. 

Regular classes

Classes about teaching techniques, EPIK life and living in Korea will take up the majority of your timetable. Take these classes with a pinch of salt. The speakers are aiming to provide lots of content in a short space of time. However, not all of it will apply to you and in practical situations the advice might not always be useful. For instance, I sat through a session about teaching older students when I’ve only ever taught elementary kids since. Therefore this session was less useful for me. On the other hand, no class covered teaching kindergarten kids. This was a skill I had to learn through experience alone.

Take notes

To be honest, I feel like I learnt the most from my fellow classmates who told me about useful websites and their knowledge of Korean life. Nonetheless, you never know what helpful tidbit you might pick up from the speakers. I still remember the storytelling lecture, which showed me how to make reading fun for students – these skills have been incredibly helpful during my English camps in vacation. Try to stay focused. Push through all these lectures. Take notes when necessary but try not to worry if you don’t catch everything. The best learning is doing after all. 

Enrichment

I loved the enrichment classes. After all, when would I ever have a chance to try taekwondo in my day-to-day life? I think the enrichment classes are one of the best parts of orientation. These special programmes are really good at reminding EPIK teachers why they decided to come to a new country. They’re also a teaser for the life they might experience after orientation. There were two main enrichment events during the orientation week: a taekwondo session and a craft lesson. I thought it was brilliant that these experiences were so different. This meant even if you weren’t a fan of one of the activities there was something closer to your pace. Plus, there was also a traditional music performance at the end of the week, which was magical and a great way to conclude all our hard work.

Taekwondo

In the past, EPIK has forked out for excursions for teachers; however, my intake entered Korea as the pandemic was ending and so we remained at the university to complete our enrichment exercises. But this didn’t bother me. A group of professionals taught us taekwondo. And they certainly weren’t afraid to show us the power and difficulty of the sport. The lead instructor was hilarious, getting each member of our cohort to break a plank of wood with our dreams written on the front (and yes I still have mine).

Craft session

The craft session was also well-led, with our team leaders making sure to offer help when we needed it. This session was a good opportunity to learn about Korean history and practise our hangeul writing skills (and yes I still have the name tag I made at this session, too). Enjoy the break from working and studying and get a good taste of the wonderful culture of Korea. 

Lesson demonstration

I kid you not, I think one of the most stressful moments of my life was preparing for my EPIK lesson demonstration. And the whole thing only lasted ten minutes in total. Yet, having to plan an elementary-level class for a group of adults was very daunting, plus we were aware that a professional would sit in and judge our work. This professional would be one of the guest lecturers who’d spoken to us earlier in the week so there was an intense pressure to impress. On reflection, the class was no sweat and the demonstration flew past.

Get a good partner

Luckily, I was fairly close with my partner and we delegated roles well: one of us prepared a PowerPoint introduction while the other prepared worksheets and activities for the other half of our lesson. Unfortunately, I heard numerous horror stories of bad partners and disagreements, which occurred during the preparation stages. Try to listen to your partner’s ideas, as this, in theory, will get you ready for working with your co-teacher when you reach your schools.

Lesson demo versus teaching

In reality, the lesson demonstration is nothing like the reality of teaching, but it’s something you have to get through to become an EPIK teacher, so keep your head up and accept that it’s an important part of orientation. If you’re really struggling, remember the lesson title you’re given at the start of the week will probably have been taken from a real Korean textbook.

Where can I find inspiration?

There is no harm in looking at websites like Korshare or Teachers Pay Teachers for inspiration. I always like to start with an introduction of the vocabulary, followed by a short worksheet and then an activity, such as a pass-the-ball game. Keep to this structure and you should pass your demo with flying colours. If you have time left over, make sure to use it either by reviewing the content of the lesson briefly or performing a cool-down of sorts with your class. And after you finish all this you can breathe … and then start the real teaching. 

3. Living conditions at orientation

Sharing a room

I went to university in the United Kingdom where sharing a room is not a common practice. Therefore, I was fairly ruffled when I discovered I’d have a roommate at orientation. I was even more unnerved when I realised I’d be quarantined with them for over twelve hours. Thankfully, my roommate was lovely and we got on very well. During our quarantine, we spent hours talking and watching K-dramas together. If you’re nervous about sleeping with a random stranger, remember that you’re likely to share some common interests, for example, a love for Korea. Additionally, you and your roommate might be quite jet-lagged so you can expect to have some early nights anyway.

Roommates

You might not even spend loads of time with your roommate and at the end of the week, you’ll receive an apartment all to yourself. My roommate and I were placed in different groups so we rarely saw each other at meals or during classes. Even our enrichment sessions were at different times. To this day, I’m not sure what kind of algorithm EPIK used to place us together. In some ways, being in different groups was good as she could give me the heads up about certain lessons; however, it was also frustrating as I didn’t have a familiar face in any of my classes when I first attended. Every EPIK teacher’s situation is different, and it truly is random who you will end up with. Try to remain positive and approachable, and if you like your personal space, remember that it is only a week.

You can’t leave

EPIK orientation felt very much like a school trip: you could spend all of your pocket money at the store, but you had to stay close to the teachers and put up with curfews. For a group of adults, all of whom are well over the age of eighteen, EPIK orientation can feel stifling. You can go from travelling anywhere in the world to having to stay at the orientation site for a week. This trapped feeling is even more true for late-intake EPIK teachers who have experienced at least five months in Korea before they have to complete their mandatory orientation. Then they’re stuck on a campus for a week although they very much know exactly what they’re doing and could very well find their way home if they chose to sneak away.

Strict rules

At orientation, you’ll see the same people every day. You’ll be prohibited from ordering takeaway at the drop of the hat and you’ll even be told when to go to bed. Prepare to feel like a little kid again. Then, at the end of the week, expect to be left to fend for yourself. This isn’t to say that the orientation campus is a prison. There were plenty of communal areas and outside spaces to enjoy. But the rooms will sure make you feel like you’re in a prison. I was placed in a room with harsh fluorescent lights and no windows. Don’t expect some five-star hotel for your orientation space. It’s student living again. But you can survive a week. Then you’re free to roam the whole of Korea and hopefully, you’ll have a lovely little apartment to do with what you will.

Food

Every meal is provided for you at the EPIK orientation. For some people, this might be their first experience with authentic Korean food. At the time, I thought this was some of the best grub I’d ever eaten. Looking at the school lunches my school gives me, I realise how wrong I was. However, this food isn’t half bad and is great for fuelling you for an intense week. So eat up and try not to miss your meal times while you’re at orientation.  For breakfast, the cafeteria will likely provide you with a sandwich, fruit and perhaps a yoghurt. For lunch and dinner, you’ll be given soup and rice along with numerous side dishes, like Kimchi, tofu and egg rolls.

Hopefully, if you’ve decided to live in Korea, you like Korean food. But if you’ve come to Korea to suffer, then you can survive with a little thing I like to call Emart. The convenience store on the orientation campus (and I can guarantee you that there will be one) will become your saviour. Pop to this shop to buy anything from cup ramen to ice cream. This store was a lifesaver in the breaks between classes when I needed a quick coffee or a little sweet treat to keep me motivated. At the Emart, I tried corn ice cream for the first time and my world changed forever. So don’t worry – you won’t starve. You might be trapped at orientation but at least you’ll be well fed. 

10 Quick tips

1. Everyone is just as nervous as you. Be brave.
2. Take all the lessons with a pinch of salt.
3. Embrace the Korean culture shown to you.
4. Don’t feel bad if you don’t connect with many people at orientation.
5. Seek out late-intakers and ask for their advice.
6. Make use of your break times to rest or socialise.
7. It’s okay if you don’t know Korean. You’ll learn in time.
8. Everyone has different teaching experience so don’t be intimidated.
9. Get used to the Korean surprise even at orientation.
10. Orientation isn’t Korea.

Orientation isn’t Korea

Orientation is a bubble. A bubble that is safe and fun but ultimately a small, slightly superficial introduction to Korean life. In my humble opinion, it is much better than being dumped in a random school in the middle of nowhere and being asked to teach an unfamiliar textbook off the bat. But orientation won’t hold all the answers. You’ll have to gain practical experience to get that and even then you’ll still discover new things every day.

Reflecting upon that week many moons ago, the thing I appreciated the most from orientation was meeting some of my best friends. They were a great comfort when my province was told about our placements later than everyone else and during that first weekend alone in the country. Get out of your comfort zone and embrace not only the classes offered at orientation but also the people who might turn out to be your family while you’re abroad.