Self-introduction
Hello, I’m C. River, a former high school teacher. You might think that being a high school teacher means I was always good at studying, but that’s far from the truth. I struggled with school and studying, and even dropped out of high school once. After that, I managed to enroll in a different high school and eventually graduated. I then went on to a little-known university that had more spots than applicants. In the end, I never found a passion for academics, and after graduating, I got a full-time job at a drugstore, simply because I happened to pass the interview. However, I quit after a few months, and for the next year and a half, I worked as a part-timer.
One day, I began to feel anxious about my future and decided to go back to studying. I recalled something a pharmacist had told me during my time at the drugstore: “If you’re dissatisfied with your current situation, then study. Compared to other fields, studying is relatively fair.” I didn’t have any specific ambitions at the time, so I started looking into becoming a pharmacist. That’s when I first learned that pharmacists need to attend university for six years and that the tuition is quite expensive.
So, I began considering careers that would be achievable with my current situation and abilities, while also offering good income and plenty of time off. After much thought, I became convinced that becoming a public school teacher was a realistic goal that met these criteria. I first researched the turnover rates among elementary, junior high, and high school teachers, and found that high schools had the lowest turnover rate. I reasoned that a low turnover rate likely meant a lower chance of the job being too demanding, so I decided to aim to become a high school teacher. When it came to choosing a subject, I researched the acceptance rates for teacher recruitment exams by subject and discovered that English and Japanese had lower acceptance rates compared to other subjects. I chose English because “being able to speak English is cool” and “English offers more flexibility in the job market.”
The next challenge was figuring out how to obtain a teaching license. After researching, I found three possible paths: 1) transferring into a university as a third-year student, 2) enrolling in a correspondence university, or 3) entering a graduate (master’s) program. With options 1 and 2, I could obtain a teaching license, while option 3 would allow me to obtain an advanced teaching license. The deciding factor for me was that with an advanced teaching license, my starting salary would be higher, as it would be considered equivalent to having two years of work experience. So, I set my sights on option 3, entering a graduate (master’s) program.
However, I wasn’t particularly strong academically, so I began searching for a graduate school that would accept someone like me. I believed that simply getting started was crucial for my mental well-being. After an extensive search, I found a national graduate school with low tuition and open spots, and I successfully passed the entrance exam. By dedicating myself to intense study at the university library, I was able to achieve a Pre-1st grade in the Eiken English test and a TOEIC score of 800 (I had been in the 400s when I started grad school) in about a year and a half. By the way, I got rid of all the things I loved, like my TV and gaming consoles, and made sure not to bring my smartphone to the library. About a year later, I received a Fulbright scholarship, which allowed me to study in the United States for a year. This experience was invaluable and greatly impacted my life.
After returning to Japan, I worked as a high school English teacher for 13 years. I didn’t have major complaints about the job, and I focused on helping my students acquire practical English skills. However, over time, I began to question whether this was the right path for me. Whenever I would tell my students, “You’ll have to work for about 50 years (from ages 20 to 70). Your life will be more enjoyable if you find something you truly want to do. It’s crucial to seriously think about what career suits you because it’s your quality of life on the line,” those words would come back to haunt me. The reasons I became a teacher were “a stable income,” “plenty of holidays,” and “high social credibility.” These aren’t exactly reasons I could proudly share with my students.
One day, while I was working under these circumstances, a family member became seriously ill. This forced me to confront the obvious truth that “life is finite.” I realized that if I continued on this path, I might end my life without ever discovering what I truly want to do. To be honest, I also thought that if I kept working there, I would eventually break down physically. With these various factors in mind, I decided that it was now or never and chose to resign.
After quitting, I spent every day thinking about what I really wanted to do. However, no matter how much I thought, I couldn’t come up with anything specific. The only vague thoughts I had were “I want to feel excited and inspired every day” and “I want to support people who are in a similar situation as me and share that excitement and inspiration.” Even after months of contemplation, this was as far as I got. I realized just how difficult it is to find something you truly want to do.
After quitting my job, I was worried about my income, but my stress levels dropped dramatically, and my health improved day by day. I also had a baseless confidence that things would work out eventually. I think this confidence came from my past experiences of success. Throughout my life, I’ve discovered what I wanted, identified the most feasible solutions among various options, and then pursued those goals with all my might. It’s often said that small successes build up over time, and I truly believe that.
I know there are many people out there who are dissatisfied with their current situation. However, by slightly changing their circumstances or perspective, I believe their dissatisfaction can be significantly reduced. I hope to use my life experiences to help those who are unhappy with their current situation. I will continue to strive to ensure that I can look back and feel that quitting was the right decision, so I would appreciate your support.
my current status
Level: Lv.1
Job: Former high school teacher
English: 75
(Studied abroad in America, Eiken Pre-1st Grade)
Teaching: 70
(13 years as a high school teacher, 1 year part-time, 2 years full-time, 10 years regular employment)
Face Size: 65
(Jealous of people with small faces, but have given up)
Courage: 55
(Dropped out of high school, took entrance exams again, experienced first year of high school twice, entered graduate school at 25, retired in my 40s)
Love for Games: 50
(Peaked in my teens, zero playtime in 2024, want to play again when my income stabilizes)
DIY: 45
(Built a wood deck, storage shed, created mortar structures, plastering, used scaffold pipes, etc.)
Cooking: 40
(In charge of cooking since getting married)
Muscles: 35
(Do strength training almost every day as per routine)
Guitar: 30
(Was in a band during university)
Drinking: 30
(Halved compared to my 20s)
Love for Manga: 25
(Manga I own: ONE PIECE, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Akira, BADON)
Drawing Skills: 20
(Submitted a manga to Jump in my teens, but of course, it was rejected)
Communication Skills: 15
(Peaked during university, decreasing every year)
Crime Index: 2
(Was rebellious in my teens but no criminal record)