So I was given my reappointment notice in early October and I still do not know what I should do regarding whether or not I should re-contract for a second year.
My goals on the Jet Programme was to see if I want a career in Education and to improve my Japanese (Japanese was my major at University). After a couple of months here, I’ve realised that teaching is not for me. But, I am steadily improving my Japanese and feel more comfortable with it.
Although I’m quite young in comparison with everyone that I have met on the programme (I’m 21), I am aware that I will need to go back to University to be able to further my career. I also do a lot of desk-warming, averaging about 20 hours during a normal school week.
Another thing that is stopping me from re-contracting is that I have been in a long-distance relationship for over 3 years now and we have not met each other properly. We have arranged to meet some time next year with no date set in stone, but we are both aware we need to close the distance between us or make some hard decisions regarding our relationship.
Now that I’ve gotten all the negatives out of the way, I do genuinely enjoy my placement a lot, it is very easy to travel around the country, the cost of living is a lot better here and I really enjoy the independence of living on my own. I have also made great friends and I am the happiest that I have been in a long time.
I would love to hear about what you guys have decided and why you made those choices!
Edit: Thank you everyone for your opinions! I decided to stay on for another year due to my age and how much I am enjoying it here. I think I was just caught up in planning for my future and decided it is just best for me to live in the present.