NOVA, questions, locations, recommendations

[limiko04]

Hello,

I am currently interviewing for NOVA. I also have an interview with GEOS in a few weeks. Can you please provide feedback on the plus or minus of each?

My girlfriend just took an apartment in Chiba. Does anyone know if there is a NOVA location in or near Chiba?

Any other recommendations would be appreciated.

Thank you

[Mandylion]

By the power invested in me, I move your post to the Practical Forum....

**poof**

Have you tried using the "search" button on the orange bar near the top of the screen?

[limiko04]

Just joined today. Thanks.

[senseiman]

I spent a year working for GEOS. The classes were easy to teach, but their teacher training wasn't very good. I also had to do a lot of paperwork and found that half the job was selling stuff to students, which I didn't like. The pay is all right and they'll put you up in a reasonably priced apartment though.

At NOVA you don't have to sell stuff, but you have to teach way more lessons (average 8 a day I've heard) and you get very little vacation time. The pay is about the same as at GEOS, but I've heard horror stories about the jacked-up rents they charge for sub-standard shared accomodation. The management at both of these companies is extremely anal-retentive, so be forewarned.

I don't want to paint too bad a picture though. As a means of getting to Japan with a job, apartment, visa etc. all lined up they are pretty good ways to go. Most people who come over with them work a year, and then if they want to stay in Japan quit and find better jobs at schools that only hire in Japan. Good luck!

Oh, and by the way both NOVA and GEOS have locations in Chiba. I don't want to insult your girlfriend's choice of location, but Chiba has got to be the worst prefecture to live in in all of Japan. Unless you are coming to see Disneyland that is.

[Brooker]

See "Is Nova really that bad" in this section for more information.

[m477]

What's wrong with Chiba? It's close to Tokyo and the airport, and cheaper to live in than Tokyo.

[Golgo_13]

During my vacation in Osaka in April I saw many advertisements for NOVA schools. They're motto was "Ekimae Ryuugaku". Being a foreign student by the train station.

[senseiman]

Heh-Heh, I'm sure Chiba is a fine place to live if you like concrete, industrial pollution and places that generally lack interesting things to do. But being in the vicinity of a big noisy airport has never been particularly high on my list of things to look for when choosing a place to live.

Sorry, don't mean to sound harsh. I've never lived in Chiba but I have a couple of friends who do and they say it is just the worst place in the world to live in. Its kind of close to Tokyo, but it takes them 3 hours to get from their place in the suburbs to Tokyo station by train, which isn't at all convenient. Plus there is no nightlife, no major places of historic interest and very little natural beauty to be found in Chiba. Besides the airport and a few other major public works eyesores, Chiba's only claim to fame seems to be disneyland, which isn't of much interest to most westerners anyway.

[m477]

Heh-Heh, I'm sure Chiba is a fine place to live if you like concrete, industrial pollution and places that generally lack interesting things to do. But being in the vicinity of a big noisy airport has never been particularly high on my list of things to look for when choosing a place to live.

Sorry, don't mean to sound harsh. I've never lived in Chiba but I have a couple of friends who do and they say it is just the worst place in the world to live in. Its kind of close to Tokyo, but it takes them 3 hours to get from their place in the suburbs to Tokyo station by train, which isn't at all convenient. Plus there is no nightlife, no major places of historic interest and very little natural beauty to be found in Chiba. Besides the airport and a few other major public works eyesores, Chiba's only claim to fame seems to be disneyland, which isn't of much interest to most westerners anyway.
So basically you're speaking out of ignorance? No offence, but suggesting that every town in the whole prefecture borders the airport or a factory is stupid and ridiculous.

And of course if you live on the far side by the border of Ibaraki, of course it will take you a long time to get to Tokyo. It's no different from living in the boondocks in Saitama or Kanagawa or any other prefecture. Also, there is a beautiful coastal region with a few nice onsens, so your claim that there's no natural beauty is unfounded as well. The part where most people live, the side near Tokyo, is actually a pretty nice place and does have a decent nightlife.

[senseiman]

Sorry if my 'stupid' answer contrasts with the facts, as noted earlier I am just relating information second hand and I didn't mean to inflame your Chiba pride! I was trying to speak sort of tongue in cheek, sorry if that didn't come across.

Glad to hear that its not as bad as I have heard. I live in Himeji and when my Chiba friends came over for a visit all they could talk about was how much better Himeji was than Chiba. I think they live in a bad part of Chiba, and I live in the good part of Himeji so I must have gotten an unbalanced impression from our conversations.

Still, my ignorance aside, I would have to rank Chiba pretty low on the livability scale when compared with other prefectures. It might be mistaken to say that it has no natural beauty, but I think it is very safe to say it has 'less' natural beauty, less historical sites and more industrial pollution and urban sprawl than other prefectures.

[Golgo_13]

So basically you're speaking out of ignorance? No offence, but suggesting that every town in the whole prefecture borders the airport or a factory is stupid and ridiculous.

And of course if you live on the far side by the border of Ibaraki, of course it will take you a long time to get to Tokyo. It's no different from living in the boondocks in Saitama or Kanagawa or any other prefecture. Also, there is a beautiful coastal region with a few nice onsens, so your claim that there's no natural beauty is unfounded as well. The part where most people live, the side near Tokyo, is actually a pretty nice place and does have a decent nightlife.

Thank you. Doumo Arigato. Danke schon. Gracias. Spaciba. Merci. Sheshe. :bravo:

[Buddha Smoker]

Heh-Heh, I'm sure Chiba is a fine place to live if you like concrete, industrial pollution and places that generally lack interesting things to do. But being in the vicinity of a big noisy airport has never been particularly high on my list of things to look for when choosing a place to live.

Sorry, don't mean to sound harsh. I've never lived in Chiba but I have a couple of friends who do and they say it is just the worst place in the world to live in. Its kind of close to Tokyo, but it takes them 3 hours to get from their place in the suburbs to Tokyo station by train, which isn't at all convenient. Plus there is no nightlife, no major places of historic interest and very little natural beauty to be found in Chiba. Besides the airport and a few other major public works eyesores, Chiba's only claim to fame seems to be disneyland, which isn't of much interest to most westerners anyway.

Hey, I take offense to that....nah, just kidding. My wife is from Chiba but she lived in Kashiwa which is extremely convient and a good place to live. Now, if you were to live on the opposite side of Chiba away from the Tokyo area then I can see where the complaints would come in but still everybody is different. Kashiwa is really cool because it is about 30/45 mins from just about everywhere (Disneyland, DisneySea, Narita Airport, Ginza, Tokyo, etc...). Well, that is my two yen.

[Orionvortex]

I have a friend who is creating a website on everything in Chiba. He's not done with the site but you can check it out and see if you find anything helpful. He and his friends are pretty knowledgeable about chiba bars, clubs, etc. The site is http://www.chibabeat.com

[Ewok85]

I lived in Ichihara in Chiba (on the news yesterday thanks to a fire at the refinery!) for about a year, and I far prefer my current location, Saitama. I've lived out in the middle of nowhere in Saitama (Ageo) and just found it to be a better place - most of Chiba is based around the bay which means heavy industry, while most other prefectures are out in the country.

[Mike Cash]

You must have amazingly high standards of what constitutes "somewhere" if you think a city like Ageo is in the middle of "nowhere".

[Ewok85]

Compared to living in Uguisudani, its kinda out there ;) I loved Ageo, but it would be pushing 2 hours to get to work from there, compared to 45mins from where I am now. I've also lived in Yono, Warabi and Kawaguchi within Saitama, and really like it here.

(Ah, I should have made it a little more clear. Ageo itself isn't exactly the middle of nowhere, but I did live a fair way from the station, which kinda compounds the inaka feel of it for me)

[yukio_michael]

What's wrong with Chiba? It's close to Tokyo and the airport, and cheaper to live in than Tokyo.I second this, as long as its Chiba City, which is I think the nicest place to be in the prefecture--- also, not so exensive, and maybe 1hr 1hr 15/30 mins to Ueno maybe.