Program Reviews

Studying abroad with CET Prague was the best four months of my life. I actually found the program last minute, but it surely was “beshert”! I am not usually the spontaneous type, especially since the CET Prague deadline was the following week, but after checking out CET’s website and seeing the Jewish Studies courses, the traveling seminars, the chance to take a business class for my major, and the fact that the program was based in a country that seemed both safe and affordable, I decided to apply.

From the start, I felt like I had made the right decision, especially thanks to the student service coordinator, who was incredibly helpful. She patiently answered all my questions and guided me through the visa process. I even remember calling her from the post office while sending my visa materials, just to double-check I was doing it right. I also remember going to a Jewish Studies information session as soon as I found out about the program, and it was super reassuring.

The program lived up to what I read about through my time in Prague. When I arrived in Prague, my amazing Czech roommate was the first to greet me. The Czech roommates were an amazing addition to the program, as I felt like I connected with her (even moreso than the other Americans). She is the best!!!

While in Prague, I took a Czech class, and I was lucky enough to have the best professor. She was kind, engaging, and genuinely made the class a joy. I will admit, the Czech Intensive was a bit overwhelming at first, especially just a few days after arriving in a brand new country. But once I got through those first couple of weeks, I ended up loving the class and language (except on test days, haha)! I even got coffee with my lovely professor on my last day before I left Praguw showing how much I ended up loving it.

I loved being part of the Jewish Studies cohort. If you are thinking about doing it, do it! It was an incredible experience. I had never been surrounded by so much Jewish history before. Since I was pursuing research while I was there for my honors thesis, my Jewish studies professors were super helpful in giving me advice on archives and people to connect with.

All the CET classes were engaging. I felt I did not have to be as anxious as I usually am, because my classes were more presentation-based than exam-based. Since I did not have to be super stressed out I got to really enjoy learning. One of the best parts of CET classes is how interactive they are. Instead of just sitting in a classroom (which I enjoy too), we were constantly out exploring the places we were studying. I got to go to so many places like the Jewish Museum in Prague, various parks, Prague Castle, a Glass company, a Jewish day school, cafes, etc. We even did scavenger hunts around the city. CET’s building is located in Praha 1, right near Wenceslas Square, so we were always out and about during class time, exploring different parts of Prague. As a history nerd this was so much fun!!! Since the trams work amazing in Prague, I would often explore by myself. I truly loved the city and felt safe navigating alone.

I also really loved the traveling seminar. Being able to visit Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary, all included in the program, was an incredible opportunity. The itinerary is connected to your core class, so mine focused heavily on Jewish history, which was exactly what I was hoping for. It truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Some parts were emotionally challenging especially regarding the Holocaust, but I am grateful I got to approach those moments from an academic perspective. There is a big difference between learning about the Holocaust from a classroom in the U.S. and studying it in the places where it actually happened. Since this is the field I want to study, I honestly think CET Prague was the best possible fit for my academic interests. If you are a history major like myself then this is the perfect program for you.

I also had the opportunity to do an internship while in Prague, which was a huge part of my experience. I took the internship seminar and worked at a place that aligned with my interest in history and Jewish studies! I am really grateful to CET for helping me navigate the professional world abroad. The option to intern is something that sets CET apart, and I am glad I took advantage of it. I learned a lot about Czech work culture and got to contribute to a project, which aligned perfectly with my academic interests.

CET Prague also has the BEST staff!!! Everyone is so supportive, welcoming, helpful, and truly made it an amazing experience. They were always willing to chat and answer my questions. They helped plan CET activities. Basically at the beginning of each month, you could sign up to go to various Czech activities like going to a hockey game, a Czech opera, going hiking, etc. I really took advantage of the CET activities and got to go all around Prague and the country.

Overall, I had a really great experience and would go back in a heartbeat. The biggest challenges I faced were not about the program itself, but more “me” problems. One, I had never lived in a city before, so it took a few weeks to get adjusted. However, once I found my footing, I ended up loving Prague and stayed longer to do research for my honors thesis, which says a lot about how much the experience ended up meaning to me. Prague is now my favorite place!! My other challenge for me was making friends. It felt like a lot of students already knew each other before coming since so many people come from the same schools, and with a smaller program, I never really found my lifelong friends. Still, everyone was genuinely kind, friendly, and welcoming, and not finding my group of people really allowed me to grow more independently, and focus on the things that really mattered to me like my research, studies, and exploring Prague. Would it have been more fun with lifelong friends? Absolutely. But that was no one’s fault. It just did not happen that way for me, and I quickly made peace with that. I still got exactly what I came for, an incredible academic experience and a chance to grow in ways I had not expected. I highly recommend CET Prague. The staff is incredibly supportive and helpful, the classes are engaging, the internship opportunities and travel seminars are meaningful, and the activities make the whole experience even richer. And of course, Prague itself is an amazing city to live and learn in…it is hard to imagine a better place or program to be.

I always knew I wanted to learn Mandarin and travel to China at some point in my life. It was a ginormous step to study abroad as a student fresh out of high school who has not yet started college. CET provided me with many detailed and helpful resources to navigate how and what to do to prepare myself before and after I have entered the country. The first oral test was very nerve wracking for me, but the ability to transfer and transition into a better fitting class was incredibly smooth and accommodating. I have nothing but good to say about all the teachers within the program; they truly began to feel like family by the end of it all, and I will miss them greatly. I heavily value and will never forget this experience and what it gave me in regards to my worldview and understanding of a culture I have longed to engage in.

CET Taiwan has been one of the most valuable experiences of my undergraduate studies. The program combines intensive language learning with real-world professional opportunities, creating an environment where growth happens both inside and outside the classroom. The Mandarin course was rigorous but highly rewarding. With small class sizes, teachers pushed us to improve while still offering individual support. The curriculum emphasized speaking and practical use, which made it easy to apply what I learned in daily life. Using Mandarin with local roommates and classmates became a natural extension of class, and I noticed steady progress in both confidence and fluency.

The internship component added another important dimension to my time in Taipei. I worked with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, where my responsibilities included event planning, client correspondence, and social media management. The Chamber partners closely with the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, Canada’s de facto diplomatic presence in Taiwan. This partnership exposed me to both business and diplomatic communities, giving me a deeper understanding of how commerce and diplomacy intersect. It also expanded my professional network and gave me firsthand professional experience in an international setting.

One of the highlights of CET Taiwan was the community. Living with local roommates gave me a direct window into Taiwanese life, from language practice to everyday routines. My classmates, who came from different universities and four different countries between us, added to the sense of support and shared experience. Together, we created an environment where we learned as much from each other as from the program itself.

Overall, CET Taiwan offered the perfect balance of academic challenge, professional growth, and community. I left the program with stronger Mandarin skills, meaningful work experience, and friendships that will last well beyond my time in Taipei.

One of the best parts of my experience with CET Brazil was the unique opportunity to visit spaces and communities that I otherwise might've not known. There are long standing partnerships between CET and different communities that helped me learn about social justice by seeing, in action, the kind of worlds and practices that people desire so much. I loved visiting Bahia through the program as well. There were some super engaging professors who I loved learning from. The CET Center is beautiful and there are opportunities to connect with the PUC community.

I’m so happy that I chose this program! From the staff to the students, CET Japan was the time of my life. With three hours of class, a language pledge, and time to explore anything from Osaka to neighboring countries, I couldn’t have asked for more. As a result of this program, I made friends from different backgrounds, learned about cultural differences (as a result of coming from different states, countries, etc.), and tore down a language barrier. My one warning is that this program is best for those who are truly interested in learning Japanese and meeting new people. The housing situation can either be GREAT or subpar (but never bad) depending on roommates + housing placement. The best part of this experience for me was the local roommate matching, as they played a big role in connecting me to the community. Whether it was restaurants, sports, trips, or my wildest dreams, I owe a lot of my knowledge to my amazing roommates and OGU friends. I loved this experience, and you will too!!

At CET Florence you got to class Monday-Thursday. Typically classes ended for everyone at 3:30 on Thursday’s. The classes were manageable where you did not have to do work on the weekends. Florence was absolutely beautiful, safe, lots of amazing food, shops, hikes, and overall good food. So many study abroad students and younger people. However, florence has a small airport so it’s expensive to travel to milan and rome to fly for weekend trips, and it rained a lot this spring! when the weather is nice, it’s perfect. I highly recommend this program!

I think that CET Florence did an amazing job of really making the program unique to the city. This came not only from their course options, but from their activities as well. The activities included going to surrounding cities, going to gorgeous locations, trying regional foods, or even just discovering the history that makes Florence, Florence! The staff were all very helpful, professors wanted us to make the most of our abroad experience, and the city itself was perfection. I WILL be returning

I cannot recommend CET Taiwan enough. My classes were rigorous without being overwhelming. I had ample opportunities to practice my Mandarin skills, and could see myself improving dramatically over the course of the program. The balanced coursework combined with the highly convenient public transportation to enable me to do a great deal of traveling around the island. People in Taiwan are very welcoming and helpful, and Taiwan's culture is endlessly enriching. The CET Taiwan staff are super friendly and a very useful resource. CET had many program-sponsored activities which made experiencing the Taiwanese culture more accessible. Taiwan's natural beauty is unparalleled, and the whole trip was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

My experience overall was amazing. Siena as a city was all I hoped it would be. The environment of the ancient medieval city was breathtaking and simple in the best way. Every evening I would take walks around Siena, enjoying the views, breathing in the smells of all of the local eateries, listening to music, and just observing all of the other locals taking their evening walks as well. It can be difficult to travel outside of Siena because of its Tuscan location and limited access to public transit, but this is a universal Italian issue.

Just as I am writing this review, I know next semester back in the States will be much more depressing. I felt like I completely re-invented myself in many ways while abroad, and I brought back many of these personal changes I experienced. Very frequently our cohort would travel to new parts of China on weekends, and this experience became a shining part of my study abroad experience. Shanghai, and China overall, is so convenient with its public transportation that it made something like that so accessible. The friends and the memories I made there will be continue to haunt the rest of my life (but in a good way).