Wufnu

Don't feel bad. Even Chinese students, in China, forget characters. In fact, there's quite the debate going around among teachers that, since typing on a computer and texting with their phones has become the most prevalent method of communication used by young Chinese people, they are forgetting how to write lots of characters. It's true! My students told me as much. If you want a memorization aid, I'd suggest Anki. I recently posted about it in the Chinese app forum.

Anki is a "flashcard" program that a doctoral student recommended on Reddit a few weeks ago. I gave it a try and I really like it. It's free and is basically just a memorization tool. The best thing is that you can find free "decks" online. They typically include the characters (traditional and simplified), pronunciation, pinyin, and English (or other language) translation. Most have about 1500 characters per deck and are progressive from beginner to advanced. I'd highly suggest giving this application a try. http://ankisrs.net/

I saw Chinese at my university's course catalog and though, "Huh... I bet nobody takes that." If you want to distinguish yourself, do things that other people don't do. I relied on my assumption being true that most people would be intimidated by Chinese and that, by being able to speak it, it would drastically increase my value to a potential employer. I was right on both counts. Fortune favors the bold!

I would not recommend Rosetta Stone to learn Chinese. I used it while taking Chinese courses at my university and felt it really didn't teach me anything at all. Once I actually lived in China, I knew it didn't teach me anything. You're better of sticking with either traditional books (I suggest Integrated Chinese, especially if you are going to learn to read) supplemented with podcasts, videos, etc. I know how it feels to think you might be able to just use a program an hour a day and learn Chinese but the reality is that it's not going to happen. It takes a lot more work than that and what RS actually teaches isn't really useful once you actually get to China. They just talk differently than what is taught (and I'm not referring to dialects).

I taught English in China for 1 year in southern China and mathematics/physics/statistics for 1 year in middle China. Really, all you need is a degree (any 4 year will do) and a TEFL certificate (or equivalent). If you're not a licensed teacher in your home country, you will make much less than others but, strictly speaking, a teaching certificate isn't required. You can get jobs with less than a degree and TEFL certification but you won't be technically legal and you will earn very little money. Technically, you must have at least a 4 year degree to become a foreign expert in China. However, many schools have good relations with their local government offices and can get you the proper paperwork no matter what qualifications you may lack. If your degree is in a STEM major, I would teach a STEM subject instead. You will earn much, much more money. If you're a licensed teacher, of anything, in your home country then you should definitely limit yourself to international schools. They earn lots of money and are treated very well. If you can go, I recommend it. Always watch out for yourself. Don't let people take advantage of you, especially your employer. It was a great adventure for me. Plus, I met my wife there!