Program Reviews

As I waived goodbye to my mother for the sixth time through security, I found myself wondering if I made the right choice to study abroad in Shanghai, China the fall semester of my Senior year. Reflecting back on my last semester and the cities I explored with friends that I will never forget, I know China was the best place for me to grow and mature.

Throughout my time I wandered to over nine cities, met endless individuals from various countries around the globe and attended seven Christmas Markets. While I could go on and on about my adventures in China to the Great Wall, Terra-cotta Warriors or talking to the locals, I want to focus on the adaptability of China to ones unique needs and desires.

Shanghai is home to over 25 million citizens. Thus, whatever you are looking for you can find. You will find a plethora of entertainment, both local and global artist, ranges of cuisines (except their Mexican food could use some work) and more stores to purchase gifts and clothes at then you can visit. The trip is 100% customizable to fit your needs. If you want to travel to Tibet, you can. If you want to experience a range of temples, you can! If you want to stuff your face with as many (strange) foods as you can find, you can.

Moving forward I have made plans with my roommate to visit the United States next year, I have applied to jobs throughout China, and am planning a trip for my family to Chengdu to experience the Sichuan Opera and the Sichuan spicy peppercorn. Many of these plans will take many months to complete, so for now I am sharing my experiences with those who are curious and debuting all myths people hold of China.

CET Jordan: intensive language is the only study abroad program that I have participated in, but after speaking with others who have gone on similar study abroad programs, I am convinced that this is the best one for improving your Arabic language skills. It's called intense for a reason, and I was academically pushed like never before. But for the sleepless nights and the tears shed over homework, my Arabic skills grew exponentially. The teachers are all incredible; they are tough but their main goal is to support you and help you grow. The administration is disorganized at times which can be frustrating, but it gets easier if you learn to go with the flow. It's not perfect, no program is, but if you are looking to improve your language skills CET is a great way to go. And you'll fall in love with the country, I promise it. Word to the wise though: observe the language pledge!

I always said I would never be one of those students that claimed "abroad changed me", but I was wrong. After spending 4 months in a new country and navigating a new way of life, it has definitely left an impact on who I am today. Never would I have felt so confident in a place where I did not know the local knowledge, or have the patience with things not going as planned. Abroad allowed me to have a reality check on life, and I am so thankful. I will come back to campus less stressed about school work and realize it is important to savor the moment- indulge in a 3 hour dinner if necessary. I was able to practice Italian with locals, find my favorite spots to study, and master the grocery store. You cannot truly experience a place by just visiting, you need to live there and see it first hand for an extended period of time. Sure there were times where I cried and was homesick, but most of the time I was able to try a new gelato with friends or wait at an airport to check off another place on my bucket list. CET staff were helpful with trip planning, housing issues and being just a local guide to the city. They knew where all the gyms were, how to find the authentic leather stores and how to navigate the post office. They also planned weekly events such as a cooking class or opera night to help me get acclimated with the city and my peers. I am so grateful to have had them every step of the way. Abroad has been one of the most impactful moments of my life, and I will never forget it. I do not understand why it never crosses the mind for some people, since there is nothing better!

I cannot describe how much I enjoyed my time in São Paulo! Of course, the food and scenery were all great, but one of my favorite parts was the chance to meet so many amazing people. The PUC students that stayed with us made getting to know Brazilian culture a lot easier and the CET staff was always so friendly and helpful. I also bonded a lot with the other American students. Most of this was probably possible because we were forced to spend a lot of time together, and not in a bad way! There were many excursions and other activities to keep us busy that were really fun. I believe that when you experience something exciting with someone else, it helps grow relationships.
I've done one other study abroad trip and I did not keep in touch with the students from that program nearly as much as I do with this one. I will always remember the things I experienced while studying in São Paulo, but the relationships I made will definitely have the greatest lasting impact.

If you want to greatly improve your ability to speak conversational level Chinese, enroll in this program. The coursework contains practical and useful vocabulary that can be utilized during everyday conversations, while the language pledge pretty much ensures that you do. The language pledge itself is difficult but it actually does work. The downside to the language pledge is that it can be difficult to grow relationships with depth ; if you are truly dedicated to the pledge you may find yourself feeling socially isolated and unable to truly express yourself. This program also has weekend activities, all of which have a defined purpose and can range from a few hours to all day. It's definitely nice to have someone else plan out your trips for you, but I would suggest to try to be spontaneous with your roommate as well. Overall I would say that this program is not focused on fun but is worth the time and effort.

Studying abroad in Brazil with CET was such an unforgettable experience. CET really emphasizes immersion which they do primarily by placing students in apartments with Brazilian roommates. I lived with both American students and Brazilian students and made amazing bonds with them. Living with Brazilians really helped strengthen my Portuguese, in that I was able to learn more informal language, was introduced to Brazilian popular culture, and music. My Brazilian roommates also invited me to their families' homes where I got to see other neighborhoods and suburbs of São Paulo, and experience Brazilian home life.

Academic-wise, CET offers a broad set of courses. I took a required Portuguese course, in which the professor was adamant about providing support for those of us who took direct enroll classes. This professor gave us activities and writing assignments similar to those that we would expect in direct enroll courses. I took one direct enroll course in Economics at PUC São Paulo and was surprised and relieved at how quickly I made friends in that class. Students at PUC are generally nice and I'd encourage future CET students to direct enroll as it will be an opportunity for you to make friends outside of CET and truly experience the Brazilian university education system.

I'm so grateful that CET does this program in São Paulo. I definitely enjoy urban spaces more so São Paulo was perfect for me! There was always an opportunity for me to go to various events throughout the city, explore different neighborhoods, and public transportation was pretty convenient and easy to navigate! In terms of safety, I didn't run into any danger; like any place, just be mindful of your surroundings and possessions. Try to speak Portuguese as much as possible--you're in Brazil after all!

CET does a great job in immersing students in the diversity of culture in Brazil. We did a one week trip to Salvador to learn more about Afro-Brazilian culture, a weekend trip to Paraty where we were able to interact with a caiçara community, and for the Poverty and Inequality class we also spent a weekend in community with an indigenous community in an urban village. I really valued these immersive trips as they broadened my view of Brazil beyond the hustle and bustle of São Paulo.

There are opportunities for students to volunteer while on this program and the program coordinators were very open to reaching out to your organization of interest on your behalf. I ended up volunteering at a tech services company founded and run by queer Afro-Brazilian women and it was one of the most impactful parts of my experience in São Paulo because I was able to be in community with and connect with other black women over technology.

Overall, I really enjoyed my experience in Brazil and would definitely go back! The bonds I built with other study abroad students, my Brazilian roommates, and Brazilian locals are priceless. Your study abroad experience definitely is what you make of it-- don't feel like you have to stick with the social circles of CET students. Don't be afraid to branch out and make friends with students at PUC, or people you meet at events throughout the city!

My overall experience in Brazil through CET was extraordinary. Although I already learned and knew quite a lot about Brazil, its culture, its society and also the Portuguese language prior to my trip in Spring 2018, the CET/PUC courses that I took, the different activities I took part in, as well as the trips that I made, both through CET and independently have really helped me gain great wealth of knowledge about the country and the people, as well as better my conversational skills. I have also made a lot of friends throughout my program, especially with those outside of the CET Brazil program. Since my return to the United States, I feel more Brazilian. In other words, I can say that Brazil is in me. I would highly recommend this program.

I had a great time with CET Shanghai and would recommend it to anybody excited about exploration, looking for work experience, all the while still receiving academic credit. Shanghai is a lively city with lots of opportunities. CET does a great job of connecting students with the competitive internships in all different kinds of fields within the city. Working an internship and taking a full course load can be daunting if students try to do too much but generally speaking it is easy to balance internships and academics. Teachers and faculty provide students with lots of different ways to learn about China and Shanghai through tours and weekend trips but students also have the autonomy to go out and explore places on their own. CET is located in the heart of Shanghai at Donghua university and it is easy to travel around Shanghai.

I loved studying abroad with CET this summer! The classes were very fun and engaging, and the staff was helpful . Of all of the activities and excursions that were organized by the program, my favorite was visiting Siena for a weekend. If I had any advice for someone who is thinking about studying abroad in high school, I would say to not be afraid and be very open minded while applying and going on the trip!

This program was intensive, as promised. I did make a lot of progress in regards to my Japanese ability. I would recommend your Japanese be at least low/mid-intermediate, as the pace does not allow for much adapting if you fall behind. Expect to have a lot of busy work in regards to homework. Myself and fellow classmates had consistent trouble managing sleep and completing all of the homework. If you prioritize your grades, do not count on having free time to explore the area or travel. CET does a good job warning students beforehand that this isn't a vacation, but even finding time on the weekends was a challenge. I highly recommend that students with ANY type of health or mental health related issue start that dialogue as soon as possible with the staff and to already have relevant documents on hand when arriving. This was a life saver for me, the absence/tardiness policy is pretty unforgiving if you don't come prepared.

A highlight of the program were the language partners. The Japanese students were incredibly patient and accommodating. If your assigned partner isn't the most helpful, other partners will be more than happy to help so don't hesitate to engage with the other language partners.