Well, I'd like some imput about an important decision I have to take. As you remember, I'm a teacher. Two years ago, after much hard work and gnashing of teeth ;-) I finally got my PHD. Yaaay, doctorate! Finally, today, I finally got a job at a big University here in Brazil. I've been teaching at schools, small colleges and military academies, but now I got the chance of earning good money as a Professor without working at three places at the same time. Problem is: I'd have to move away from Rio de Janeiro, where I lived my whole life to a very small town called Itaperuna, 6h. away (by bus). It might be laughable, but I'm afraid I'd not like to live in a small town. I like movies, theaters, good restaurants... I'm used to go to the beach every weekend (Itaperuna isn't near the ocean)... One must ask then "so, why did you apply to the job"? Well...at first I didn't think I would be required to live there, just get a room and sleep two nights every week. Now, though, it seems I'll have to teach twice as many classes as I thought I would (ok...it increases the salary, but...). Tsc...what to do? Frantic big-city life, working a lot without much money or quiet small city, working reasonable hours and earning bigger bucks?
I'm inclined to just toss a coin. Seriously.
Posts: 1785 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Personally, I love living in a small town. It's hard to make comparisons though, because even in my small town I'm only about 20 miles or so from all the shopping, restaurants, and movies I could want. Your situation may be different.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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Are there opportunities like the one in the small town in a larger city?
It could be a very, very difficult adjustment moving in, especially if you are not sure that you want to be there. I worry about you for that.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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Well, if you're already used to the city life, I don't think it'll be easy adjusting to the quiet rural one. Maybe you can save up lots of money and move back to the city when you're done?
Stay in the city. I think you'll have more fun.
Posts: 147 | Registered: Jun 2005
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To tell you the truth, teaching in the small town university will probably boost my c.v. enough so I may aspire to work closer to Rio in some years. Things are funny...I taught in the "favelas" (slums)of Rio for an year, and I (kinda) got used to run from bullets and drugdealers from time to time. Now I'm afraid I won't adjust to the "small college town atmosphere", hehehe. Maybe I should just quit being whinny.
Posts: 1785 | Registered: Oct 2003
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I think you might want to check out the area, see how far it is from city life. There may be a way to have your cake and eat it too....around here a lot of small towns are fairly close to larger ones, so even though you might have to drive a bit too get there you can still live in a small town and get at least some of the big town perks.
How far away fro Rio is it again? Are there any larger towns close by?
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Personally, I love small towns (I grew up in one). But it would definately be an adjustment that wouldn't be very easy.
If you love the city and all that entails, I'd say that happiness is more important and to take the smaller salary to stay where you are happiest. (Unless Kwea's plan works... )
Posts: 697 | Registered: Nov 2005
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Itaperuna is only ~80kilometres/50miles from Campos dos Goytacazes, airport to airport. Admittedly, the drive down route 356 to BrazilianRoute 101 is a bit longer. And once you're on BR-101, it's only ~290kilometres/180miles to Rio de Janeiro.
Universidade Federal Fluminense? How many days per week will you be teaching? Do you drive? Do you want to drive?
Posts: 8501 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Eduardo, this is wonderful! You should definitely take the job because it puts you up into a whole new level of jobs. If, after a year, you don't enjoy it, then you can look for a new position in the city, with all the prestige and salary of this position backing you up. It will definitely be worth it to you.
And college towns aren't really like other small towns. They have lecturers and foreign films, the high-spirited pranks of intelligent young people, and lots of colleagues with fascinating research topics. They are full of interest, in other words, and yet they are friendly and intimate. Every stranger on the street is your friend because the college itself serves as an introduction. You may find that you like the atmosphere there very much indeed. Think about Oxford University, in England. A very sleepy little town and yet so many fascinating people were there, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, J.I.M. Stewart, Percy Shelley, etc., etc. all down through the centuries, the corner pub full of great conversation any day of the week.
You totally should take it!
I understand what you mean, though. I was not at all worried about being shot at or blown up in Iraq but balked at the cold and isolation of Siberia. Kyrgyzstan, though, I was really excited about. I still sort of wish that one had come through. (By the way, I got a great job here in my hometown. I've been wondering how this summer went for you and about your pending job prospects. I haven't talked to you in too long! I hope I can catch you online sometime so we can catch up.)
Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
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Eduardo, I agree - this is a wonderful opportunity!
Not that I get a vote, but if I did, I'd vote for taking it for a year or two to make the cv look better, and then apply for jobs closer to the city again.
Either way, it's good to see you here!
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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6 hours by bus would be a heck of a haul for a weekend in the city in order to have the best of both worlds, but if it's only a 3 hours drive (assuming I read some of those posts right), it would certainly be something I'd consider as doable. So I'm going to put my vote towards taking the job for a year or two and seeing what happens in the meantime.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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Another thing I've found about jobs, is that one never can tell in advance if they will be fun, fulfilling, and interesting or not. Oftentimes when every sign looks positive, things just don't click for you there. Other times when you are desperate and take absolutely anything that appears, it turns out that you could not have chosen better with all the world in front of you to pick from. I have found that it takes at least six months to know for sure about any job, if you are going to like it. For that reason, I've decided it's not important to ponder and weigh every positive and negative up front, but just to be optimistic and see what happens. Also, be willing to change horses mid-stream if it looks like a good idea. Studies have found that people who change jobs more frequently do better in the long run.
You definitely learn a lot from each job experience, if only learning that you don't like working in that sort of atmosphere. All the lessons, both the good and bad, are really important and helpful.
Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
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quote:To tell you the truth, teaching in the small town university will probably boost my c.v. enough so I may aspire to work closer to Rio in some years.
This was going to be my question. If this were not the case, I would recommend not moving. Since this would likely improve your ability to get the job you ultimately want (professor near big city), I'd say it's worth considering.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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I'd say go for it. Being able to work at one place is good...but when you are boosting your cv it is a very good thing. Even if living in a small town isn't the ideal thing for you, sometimes to move forward in a career you have to pay your dues for a while.
Besides, living in a small town isn't so bad. There may be less places to go...but if you can become friends with the people you work with, you can always find something to do.
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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I hated living in a small town. Not because of a lack of anything but because if you do anything wrong or embarising EVERYONE knows about it within a week. If you break up with a girlfriend EVERYONE knows about it. In other words you can never keep any kind of secret in a small town.
Posts: 1941 | Registered: Dec 2005
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Good luck on the new job and the PhD. I live in a small town in New Jersey, but that might be different than a Brazilian small town. Because New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the US, our small towns abut other small towns, which abut bigger towns and cities. Just about everything between New York City and Philadelphia is New Jersey towns. Access to the big city is very easy.
You can always give it a try, and if you find that the life doesn't suit you, you can apply for a professorship in the big city. Perhaps you will surprise yourself and find that you like it better.
Hope all works out for you, doc.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Aspectre, isn't Internet amazing? I found amusing how you got so much information (by the way, they're correct) in so little time. Well, I spent the last two days talking to parents, relatives, friends, my dear Isabel (my significant other) and it seems that it would be better for me to take the job. Let's see what happends. :-)
Oh, yes! Thanks, folks! I may be lurking, but I'm never thrully away!
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Hehehe...thanks, Tatiana. I went to Itaperuna today. The city IS small. Still, rents aren't too steep and I found four apartments and one house that could suffice. Still...NO INTERNET BROADBAND! Gaaaah!
Posts: 1785 | Registered: Oct 2003
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I'm not sure how much Brazil as a whole has changed in the 20 years since I was there, but I imagine small-town Brazil is still much different from small-town USA. Small towns here have many more conveniences that you only really find in larger towns and cities in Brazil.
But if you can get by without the niceties of the Big City, Ed, I'd say go for it. Give it a try at least for a couple of years. Think of the money you can save in a couple of years if you have a better salary and fewer distractions to spend it on!
I'm sending good vibes your way, knowing you'll make the decision that is best for you. Boa Sorte!!
Posts: 6394 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Kyrgyzstan, though, I was really excited about. I still sort of wish that one had come through. (By the way, I got a great job here in my hometown. I've been wondering how this summer went for you and about your pending job prospects. I haven't talked to you in too long! I hope I can catch you online sometime so we can catch up.)
