Questions involving Peace Corps

Question

I have a few questions about the Peace Corps. If you could answer the ones you now that would be helpful. I'm only in high school now. but After college I want to join the Peace Corps. I would mainly like to work with health.

What courses in high school would help me prepare for the Peace Corps?

If you have been in the Peace Corps, how did you manage that, and your job back at the U.S.? Did you have to quit your job for 2 years then reapply when you got back?

What classes in college did you take to prepare for the Peace Corps?

What did you go into the Peace Corps doing? Like teaching, or health, and what did you have to do?

What other careers are similar to the Peace Corps, but can actually make you a living?

Thanks in advance, and if you have any additional information that might be helpful, that would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Good question.  Learn a foreign language.  I'm interested in reading more answers.

Answer 2

Take the college prep course in high school, and all the life science your school offers (biology, anatomy, etc.)

Many volunteers go into the Peace Corps right after college. If you work for a year or two in the USA after college, you normally quit your job to volunteer, then apply for it - or something better - when you return. They give you a re-adjustment allowance that lets you live for a month or two without working while you find a new job.

In college, major something like teaching or nursing or teaching with an empasis on health education that will do two things; prepare you to be a good volunteer, and prepare you for a career after the Peace Corps. I was an English major, and I taught English as a second language in the Peace Corps.

English teachers, nurses and doctors can find jobs anywhere in the world. Being one of them will let you travel, which is similar to the Peace Corps. There are lots of others careers that let you travel.

If you are interested, you can read about my time as a PCV in Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, many years ago. I search Y!A for the phrase "Peace Corps" every week. I have a page devoted to the questions that come up the most frequently, too:

http://www.tedpack.org/pchead.html

My page "Peace Corps Links" has a link to the Returned PCV web ring, which has 40+ other RPCV sites.

You can Google "Peace Corps Volunteer Blog" to find sites that are more current.