Program Reviews

I would highly recommend The Fewer Things to anybody who is looking to move to China to teach English. From the initial stages of applying The Fewer things has been nothing but supportive and knowledgeable on the process. Moving to Shanghai in the middle of a pandemic was not easy, there were many hurdles but the process was made less daunting with the help of The Fewer Things as they were always there to answer questions and guide you every step of the way.

After arriving in China The Fewer things has continued to be supportive and helpful. They check in regularly to make sure everything is going well and make sure you are adjusting to your new life. The Fewer Things has been helpful in all aspects of life here in China, from giving you advise and tips on teaching to recommending restaurants and bars! The language barrier can be difficult at times when communicating with your employers in Shanghai but The Fewer Things is always there to help. Whenever I've needed some guidance or help with anything The Fewer Things has alway been quick to help. The Fewer Things has made the transition into teaching and moving abroad very smooth!

I would have been absolutely clueless without the help from the fewer things. They have been very supportive and knowledgeable throughout the whole process. Whenever, I am unsure or need help they are always there for support and guidance. While being in China I have encountered some difficult situations with housing but this was easily resolved and sorted with the help of the fewer things.
The fewer things has made my transition from England to China very smooth. Being alone in a new country can be very daunting but knowing that the fewer things are always there is very reassuring.

The whole experience has been like night and day compared to another organisation I applied with. I’ve been guided throughout and all promises have been delivered on. I was even able to arrive in Korea 3 months sooner than initially expected as well. Everyone involved seems to genuinely have my best interests at heart. I now work in the heart of Seoul with great people, and I’m thankful to everyone involved. The city is vibrant, full of life and with free accommodation, it’s extremely affordable.

Wow wow wow. The TFT team helped immensely throughout my process to teaching in Korea. With the constant changes in travel restrictions and many ups and downs, they were always helping and providing an update. Without their help, the road would have been a struggle. They were always there helping and reassuring the process, even when it looked bleak. The aided in interviews hugely, providing specialised help and tips when tackling the nerve racking interview questions.
Can’t recommend the program enough and a huge thanks to Jaemi and the team.

The reason I am so happy in my placement and having the time of my life (cringe I know) is because of the fewer things! A massive group of 30 teachers met up in Phuket to do the sandbox scheme (all part of TFT and organised through the group chat) and basically explored, adventured (and partied) everyday for 2 weeks. This meant the contacts and more importantly, friends we made were solid genuine connections and now these are the people that are making my placement amazing. I live with and am close to most of these people and go explore different parts of Thailand every weekend! My school is just incredible, the teachers are the kindest people and the kids are so excited and starstruck by us teaching them, I leave work with my face literally aching from smiling and laughing all day!! However not everything is plain sailing, but that’s all part of it and you can bombard TFT team with any questions or problems and they will do their best to find and answer and support you through it! To conclude, going through TFT made life easier and also helped me make friends for life 💗

I can highly recommend The Fewer Things to anybody who is looking to travel to China to teach english or looking to begin a new adventure! Jaemi, the director, is incredibly knowledgeable of the entire process and was there to help me along every step of the way pre-departure. Whatever questions I had or confusion I was in, he was able to answer or find the answer to all of the questions I had. The season of COVID has provided numerous different extra hurdles for anyone making their way to China, and Jaemi was able to thoughtfully and skillfully guide me through each step. He connected me to helpful resources here in the states to help answer the questions he did not have the direct answer to. Regardless of whatever question I had about the process (and I had a lot!), Jaemi could either immediately answer or help me find the answer in a timely manner.

When I got to China, he was still providing lots of support. He guided me in finding housing (since teaching in Shanghai does not come with accommodations because of the higher pay), and yet again was able to answer all of my questions about the day to day life in Shanghai. Further, he has been able to connect me with numerous other opportunities to use my skills here in Shanghai.

You cannot go wrong if you decide to use The Fewer Things to travel to China. You will not only be working with knowledgeable people who want to help you, but also people who are willing to support you on a personal level by checking in on you as you are preparing to move to a new country and checking in on you to make sure you are adjusting alright once you arrive. The support you get from The Fewer Things is unparalleled! I highly recommend traveling with them.

The fewer things were brilliant when I was preparing to leave, any issues I had I could message them directly and they instantly sorted it out for me. I had a few concerns about the location of my placement and wanted to see if I should try find a different one in a better location, I messaged them my concerns and asked their opinion. They came back with such a great, detailed reply that really helped ease all my worries, and I’m glad I did because my school is so lovely. The location is on the quiet side for me but has great connections and transport (all points that The Fewer Things told me via email when I messaged them my concerns). I am a bit of a worrier so I definitely sent them more emails than normal asking lots of questions and wanting to know more, and I always received a quick and kind reply. My biggest issue I had when I was planning to leave was with the Korean recruiter, who said the school was desperate for me to go out there and was pressuring me to fly the next day and didnt understand when I said no. I still hadn’t officially received my visa in the mail yet, they just said it should be delivered that day. I messaged Jaemi directly on watsapp at 7am and I was very panicked as I wasn’t prepared to leave the next day . He said he agreed and didn’t want me to book my flight until I had my visa in my hand and basically said I’ll sort this for you. Within maybe half an hour, it was all sorted and I had the extra day I wished for! Overall, this is was such a personalised friendly experience, and the best thing I’ve ever done.

The Fewer Things has been really supportive and helpful through the move to Shanghai, China. As it was during the Covid pandemic and such a hard time both to travel and to get to China TFT supported me and helped me a lot with the process of getting here. They also introduced me to a load of other teachers who were also moving out around the same time, which was very helpful to speak to people in a very similar situation. The same teachers I met through these group chats have been good friends that have helped with the teaching in China and 2 of them are also now my flatmates which has made things a lot easier since arriving.

The Fewer Things is truly an incredible program with a kind, and helpful team. I started talking to Fewer Things back when COVID first started, and had planned to move to South Korea in April of 2021. As COVID was not getting any better, the team helped me adjust my plans. What initially drew me to this program was the in-country TESOL course with a week of orientation. Although I wasn't able to experience the in-country course, I was placed in an online TESOL course where I was able to meet others going to Korea the same time I was. (Now being in the country, they are offering a cultural orientation week for those who couldn't participate!)
This was a huge commitment to make, and I appreciated the support I received from Fewer Things. I would get emails monthly updating me on the COVID situation, and if I had any questions it was very easy contacting the team. Leading up to the move, the program also created a group chat with others going to Korea! They also offered a lot of support in terms of: looking for travel health insurance, reviewing contracts, and going over paperwork together. I am so grateful that I chose to work with Fewer Things, and to be given this opportunity. I highly recommend Fewer Things to those who may be too nervous to make the leap, because they will help catch you.

It’s my first month teaching in Shanghai and my experience was a lot more different to the applicants pre-Covid. There was a lot preparation I had to go through to get to China (e.g. quarantined for 3 weeks in Xiamen, travel restrictions, finding flights, visa application and legalisation etc.). Throughout my journey the Fewerthings were with me every step of the way, especially when arriving to China! Jaemi has been amazing at answering and reassuring me with all worries, even when they were a tad silly. I wouldn’t know where I would be without them, as they’re still in touch with us while we are here too. If you wanna know how my experience is going, follow the fewerthings or my insta: Cedrick_jison for more information! I’ll be willing to answer them!