TravelingEv
Armenia,
Female, 27
I live and work in Armenia as a computer teacher at a college in one of the regions (not the modern capital city). Peace Corps service is a 27 month commitment in a 3rd world or developing country. I teach computer teachers and students about basic computer maintenance; I also teach software programs like Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint, Photoshop, and CorelDraw. Everything I do--from teaching, buying food, visiting friends--is done in Armenian, which I learned since I arrived in country.
The normal time commitment for a volunteer is 27 months (3 months of training and 2 years of service). You can extend for up to 2 additional years in the same country. If you want to volunteer again in another country, you can re-apply. Staff positions (like the country director) can last for up to 5 years. Then they have to move on to something outside of Peace Corps for at least as long as they worked for Peace Corps before working for Peace Corps again.
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There is actually a small percentage of applicants who get accepted into the Peace Corps. (Annually, Peace Corps receives about 10,000 applications and sends about 3,500-4,000 trainees overseas.) That surprised me at first. I always thought that they would take any volunteer they could get their hands on! They are looking for skilled people in areas that other countries need. They are looking for something that demonstrates that you plan to stay the two years. They are looking for healthy individuals (the medical screening is very intense). It helps if you have had prior volunteer experience, prior language learning (in any language), and prior travel experience (you can't truthfully say, "I love to travel," if you have never traveled). It also helps if you are flexible, and open to trying new things. The worst aspect of applying to the Peace Corps is how long it takes. They say it usually takes from 6-12 months. It took me a year and a half. Most applicants drop out on their own during this time, so the chances that you'll be accepted if you stick out the application process are probably pretty high.
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Housing options vary by country. You may have some flexibility in your housing choices, but they will be determined by the country you serve in, and you will have to adhere to your country director's rules.
In Armenia all volunteers are required to live with host families during pre-service training, and then for their first couple months after swearing-in, in their permanent site. After that, they are free to move out on their own if they choose, usually to live by themselves.
In other countries, volunteers live together during pre-service training in apartments. Some volunteers live with host families their entire two years. Others live in family "compounds," having their own building or set of rooms, but being surrounded by host family members in one small area.
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I'm sorry I don't really know the answer to your question. Here's what I have heard: if you want to "park" your application, you can do so at any time in the application process, and they keep it on file for a certain amount of time (maybe 6 months-1 year), during which you can re-open your application. After that time expires, you would have to start the entire application process over again.
However, if you are given an invitation (meaning you have made it through the entire application process and they are trying to place you), and you reject it without good reason, there is not a good chance of them giving you a second option.
I hope this helps.
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Not so far... That's not to say that I haven't had very difficult periods. I have, and they've been brutal. There was a time where every single day seemed to last an eternity. For awhile I went through some hard relationship stuff, and missed home dreadfully. There was the shock of how cold and miserable winter really is here. There were headaches and illnesses and digestive problems. There were awkward moments and misunderstandings and cultural faux pas. But I (more or less) expected all this going in, and I have been able to look at everything so far as learning moments. I have definitely had strong yearnings for home from time to time, but no, I have not yet seriously considered quitting (also known as ET'ing.) However, I won't rule out the possibility that the feeling could still come up! It's perfectly normal, from what I hear. Most volunteers I talk to have a personal rule, such as, "If I have this feeling for X amount of time, then I will ET." Or, "I will revisit this issue in X amount of time, and if it hasn't gotten better, I will ET." Or, "If it gets so bad that I [fill in the blank], I will ET." Or, "I will definitely ET if I ever run into X situation." It's a personal decision, and one that needs to be respected, since everyone has their own threshold. My guiding light is, "Well, if I went home now, what would I do?" And so far, the answer isn't exciting enough to make it worth my leaving early.
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I would imagine that Peace Corps will let you know if you aren't nominated. After you turn in your application and you are accepted to move on to the next step, you will be contacted for an interview. You can ask your interviewer how long it will be before you hear back, so you know for sure.
After my interview, I waited between 2 and 3 weeks to get my nomination. So I would say that if you haven't heard back within a month, you could contact Peace Corps and ask about the status of your application.
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The thing about being a foreigner here is that I stand out--blond hair and casual clothing in a community of well-dressed brunettes. So I get stared at a lot. But usually it feels more uncomfortable than dangerous. I try not to do anything that will put me in real personal danger--I use common sense--and so far, that has worked well for me.
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