Program Reviews

Before going to China and attending the CET Beijing program, I had no idea what to expect. I had attended two previous summer Chinese learning programs, but both were only for three weeks and both were in the United States. The CET Beijing program gave me the full immersion into Chinese culture and the experience of using language in the everyday interactions of daily life. In short, it was completely different than any previous experience I had. After going to China, I became so much more willing to try new things, whether that be food, activities or just the experience of living abroad, meeting people and speaking a different language. I came to believe during my time in Beijing that you need to be willing to try new things in order to have a fulfilling experience. If I had not tried even half of the things I did, I am certain that my summer would have been not only completely different, but not even as half as incredible as it was. What made my time in Beijing unique was the people I got to meet. New friends, teachers, program alumni and native Chinese speakers like my roommate, all made a huge positive impact on my experience. Making an effort to connect with these people on a daily basis, as well as trying to make as much an impact on their lives as they made on mine, was very important in building and maintaining those relationships and giving me more opportunities to connect in the future, as well as enriching my experience abroad.

CET learning was not similar to high school learning. I was one of the youngest people in the 2019 summer CET Beijing program, and, as a result, all of my friends were at least a year older than me, already had a year or more of university experience under their belt, and were overall more adjusted in the art of adulthood, while I had just graduated high school. However, this turned out to be a good thing, especially in planning weekend activities, trips and dealing with daily navigation struggles. I was able to learn so much from these older people and gained so much more self confidence, ability and maturity in the process. I would tell future participants that going in with an open mind is the most beneficial way of getting everything out of the CET program that they can.

CET Beijing was the most interesting and impactful Chinese learning experience I’ve had the opportunity to experience so far. Throughout high school, I had an untraditional way of learning Chinese, as most of it was during the summers at shorter, but similar, immersive language programs. Because I learned Chinese out of the classroom most of the time, I had short, intensive bursts of language learning that completely contrasted the duration, immersion and intensity of CET Beijing. As a result, I was more successful at this program due to being surrounded by the city, participating in the language pledge and constantly experiencing the target culture. I was slightly nervous before the program started because I had been enrolled in an online Chinese course for the last two years of high school, and had only attended two other 3-week summer immersion programs. I wasn’t sure how my Chinese skills would translate from online to in-life. However, almost immediately within the first two weeks, I noticed a significant difference in my ability to hold conversations and speak full sentences with my teachers and other students, ones that would actually make sense and allow me to communicate what I wanted to say. Being able to use Chinese everyday really made a difference in my confidence, which I think was the aspect that allowed me to really dive into the experience and not be afraid to make mistakes. My confidence in speaking the language was facilitated by my teachers and peers, as they created and were part of a safe community that made me feel confident enough to mess up and learn from it.

I would say that the one-to-one sessions were probably the most crucial aspect of my progress, as I was by myself during the sessions and had to think quickly in order to use the new grammar and vocabulary I learned as I was speaking, which emulated live interactions. Not quite as impactful to my progress, but just as important, was the repetition of the class material. Given that we would learn one week’s worth of Chinese in a day, it was hugely beneficial that the material would first be repeated in the small classes that followed the big class, and then again in the one-to-one sessions. Although it was a lot of work, it didn’t feel like a lot while doing it. Instead of trying to fit the rest of my life around my Chinese, I was easily able to fit Chinese into my daily life while going to authentic restaurants, exploring the city with friends, or talking with my roommate and teachers.

As a gap year student, I was nervous going into the program, as I was the youngest and least-experienced student there. However, I realized I didn’t need to worry because every student was under the same Chinese-learning umbrella, which united everyone despite age, school or Chinese level. Being able to participate in this program, especially since it was in a Chinese city, not only allowed me to improve my Chinese, but also allowed me to learn so much about culture, social norms and a completely different way of life, which I think are aspects that are equally as, if not more, important as being able to speak the language. This program was beyond helpful to my language skills, personal growth and increasing my sense of responsibility, all of which have been and will continue to be essential in my journey to college.

I definitely recommend this program to everyone! My biggest recommendation is to make the most out of your time in Beijing to learn Chinese everywhere you go from anyone you meet, and also make the most out of the new culture, the beautiful city and the lifelong friends you’ll make, because the time flies by and it isn’t an experience you’ll want to waste.

The program is well set-up for students who wish to have close interactions with Japanese peers without living with a homestay family. The housing is very comfortable, and there is a lot of opportunity for interaction with Japanese students and fellow international students. The course load is heavy, with lots of homework, but the instruction is excellent, with a wide variety of learning opportunities. Though there were some opportunities for more "cultural" experiences, they were more limited than expected, though the few group excursions that were held were quite enjoyable. The living accommodations are very conveniently located near public transportation and close to the campus, as well as being in a quiet and safe neighborhood. The housing itself was excellent for someone with dietary restrictions as a personal fridge and stovetop unit were included in the room.

This year, I started learning Chinese. I really wanted to improve my language skill. So, I decided to study Chinese over the summer vacation. I did some research and it seemed like CET is the best program in Beijing to learn Chinese for beginners.
To put it simply, I made a right choice. During this summer, I learned more Chinese than what I would have learned for three semesters in my university. Also, CET offered many interesting trips to Beijing’s historical places such as The Great Wall. The Chinese Instructors are amazing as well. They are not only superb at teaching the materials, but also extremely friendly and nice. Finally, the program assigns one roommate for you, and they are generally really nice and very helpful when it comes to adjusting to the new life in Beijing. If i ever want to study abroad in China to learn Chinese, I would come to CET Beijing again to learn.

I chose to do this program to catch up on my Italian courses. I just declared an Italian major and needed to learn the language more quickly, since I didn't start taking it until my second year. This course was perfect for me. I got to spend time in a lovely medieval city in Tuscany while practicing my Italian every day and learning so much about what life was like in Italy and in Siena. The program staff was very friendly and helpful, and they made an effort to get to know us and host fun programs for us. I lived in an apartment with an Italian roommate, who was extremely kind and helpful in showing us how to get around in the city, the best places to eat, etc. I know that my friends who lived in homestays loved their host families as well. The weekend began Thursday afternoon, so we had plenty of time to take weekend trips all over Italy, and even abroad. And of course, as a Classics major, I loved the opportunity to connect all the things I have been learning with the actual landscapes where they took place.

This is branded as an intensive language program and it certainly lives up to the billing from that standpoint. The classes are very structured and intended to fit a semester's worth of work into two months. Of course what happens in the classroom is nowhere near the whole if the experience. While having to speak only Chinese during my time here and living with a Chinese roommate (which is really another story) the chances for you to apply what was learned in the classroom in real life situations were really endless. I would be remiss if I did not mention the faculty and staff of this program are truly second to none in their caring about your wellbeing and your studies, they are there to help and certainly make the experience as smooth as it can be.

Great program- perhaps overpriced, but the support is nice to have and some aspects of the program (language partner, roommate in apartment) are ingenious and well executed. The internship class was hardly a class and had some major flaws- I don't think our teacher even read the class syllabus as we did almost nothing on there- but I understand the primary teacher was missing and our filling teacher did give us some intriguing insight on life and culture in Jordan as he was at the top of a powerful tribe. Still though, it did not qualify as a college level course by any means.
The class should be slightly more intensive- I really didn't understand the need for three cooking days (learned a lot the first day, not a lot the second two) and the short trip was hardly a class. I thought the orientation was a little excessive and we could have started class and roommate/language partner relations sooner as the program is already so short. My internship was absolutely incredible. I wasn't sure how the internship placement was determined as some of my friends were doing exactly what they had emphasized they didn't want to do, but it worked out great for me. My Jordanian roommate and language partner were also wonderful.

I loved my semester abroad. Prague was a beautiful city, and CET did a great job of having classes that taught you about the history and people of the place you were living in. Most of the professors were excellent and knowledgeable, and incorporated cultural and interactive components into their lectures. The course load was interesting but not so heavy as to prevent us from exploring the city and learning by doing. The staff members were PHENOMENAL and made me feel safe, cared for, and helped introduce us to different aspects of Prague we might not have otherwise discovered. I also had an amazing Czech buddy as a roommate: we became great friends and she helped us adjust to the new experiences and was also just an incredible person to talk to. I also bonded with my flatmates and fellow students in my building, and we had a great time trying out new restaurants, visiting museums and points of interest, and even traveling outside of the country together. CET's traveling seminars were also and unbelievable opportunity to visit many other countries along with the program, which was great because it provided some structured learning and also gave us the freedom to explore on our own. While no abroad experience is perfect, CET gave me a chance to learn by doing, make new friends, and adapt to a new cultural atmosphere and I am so glad to have had this experience.

My semester in Florence was incredible! The CET staff was very helpful and engaging, and the CET activities were a great way to engage with Italian culture and with Italian locals. I loved living in a city with such beautiful culture, buildings, and landscapes for a few months. I also loved traveling around Europe, and I would highly recommend traveling to smaller Tuscan towns near Florence to get a true feel for Italian life. I personally really liked Arezzo and Volterra. Learning how to travel practically is also a good learning experience and I feel that I have become more confident in solo travel. And of course, the food in Florence is amazing and I have never eaten better pasta. This was such a fun experience and I would recommend a semester abroad in Florence to anyone!

I will start off by saying CET does a great job with organizing events and trying to get students to feel at home in Prague. The Berlin trip was awesome and so was the trip to Cesky Krumlov. I was on the FAMU side of CET. The program at FAMU is slightly flawed, but it’s a great experience. It was amazing being surrounded by people who also had a passion for film. The program doesn’t feel like college or school whatsoever. The schedule is all over the place and can take some time to get used to. The screenwriting class and directing class are entirely pitching for most of the semester. I was very disappointed with directing class, nothing was taught about directing styles or techniques. It’s important to know coming in that if you have an idea for a film that you are passionate about, do it. Some professors will try to push their own ideas on you and make your film their own. Listen to what they have to say because some of their advice is amazing but ultimately go with what you think is best. Some of the professors are awesome. Editing class was very helpful and insightful. The cinematography class was very informative. Storyboarding class is way too short, there should be more of those classes. The electives at FAMU are a hit or miss, some are great, some aren’t. The key is to just test them out before choosing. The lighting seminar is one of the most fun and helpful parts of the program. That is when you get hands on the camera and lighting equipment for the first time. Unfortunately, that is the only time you get to see the camera before shooting. In my opinion, much more time should be spent on preparation for the shoot instead of pitching/screenwriting. The best part of the program by far was production. I highly recommend getting on multiple sets to get as much experience as possible. Being on set is ultimately what the whole program is about. The program provides you the resources to go out and make a film. The best way to learn filmmaking is to get hands-on experience. This program gives you that. I believe that although there are flaws, the set experience you get is invaluable. I met great people here who have taught me a lot as well. I am very happy with what I have learned and would recommend this program to anyone interested in filmmaking.