CET Academic Programs Reviews

Studying abroad in Vietnam for two and a half months was an inspirational experience for me. Being away from my family and friends, I had to step up to the game and learn to become independent and responsible. This trip opened my eyes and expanded my horizon. I got the chance to be a part of a different culture, to learn new customs, and to experience life from the perspective of a third world country.

As someone not exactly fit for a study abroad - having had mild depression and anxiety throughout my college years, going to a foreign country where the language nor the people were familiar to me was a very sound choice.
I was scared of whether I could do the internship that I found, something that was exactly what I had asked for, incorporating business and publishing all in one neat package, and I didn't know how I would do in this new environment.
The program was amazing. I was not just a tourist, although I had plenty of time to do that, but the program cared for me in a way that I didn't think about the money being paid - although I tried to remember. They truly love their students.
When I was struggling, they checked up on me. When I needed to talk, they were always there with encouragement and advice. The classes are difficult, but very good. You learn a language for real, and they're serious about leaving you with amazing skills.
I was able to go on trips with plenty of time left to explore with my roommate, who was a lifesaver for me who couldn't speak a full language. I learned the most from her than anyone else. If anyone ever is worried they can't do it - you can. And this program is something I'd really recommend.

CET Academic Programs is a great program for study abroad. The most unique aspect of CET is the local roommate feature. No other program I found had this feature, and it was one I was specifically looking for. My roommate was the best resource for me to practice my Chinese, as well as a lovely person. She helped me every step of the way. My Chinese would not be half of what it is without her. In terms of academics, the English-taught courses are taught by professors that are top-notch experts in their fields. The Chinese courses are taught by experienced teachers with a wide knowledge base. My internship placement was identical to my career goals and interests. I got to learn more about the foreign environmental NGO sector in China as well as network with Chinese and other international coworkers. Although the program was extremely academically rigorous and kept us busy every minute of the day, there was one week in April where we had the freedom to travel wherever we wanted in or out of the country. The program also includes one trip outside of Beijing with the whole program that is a ton of fun. Lastly, I made great, long lasting friendships during my time abroad with CET which I expect to last the rest of my life. If you want a program that is academically rigorous, language intensive, career focused, and also gives you the freedom to travel and meet great people, choose CET!

I arrived in Harbin on the 4th day of the Spring Festival, a sharp scent of gun powder punctuated the night air and the rattle of firecrackers cut through the weary numbness then descending on my jet-lagged brain. I had strained to understand the signs in the airport and I couldn't seem to get a single tone right when I tried asking for help, 'what am I getting myself into?' was the prevailing thought of the day. Luckily, all of the exhaustion of travel and the shock of entering a new cultural environment were assuaged as soon as I arrived on campus at HIT and met with Li Laoshi, Xuan Laoshi, our RA, the other staff whose patience and kindness left me smiling and ready to take on the challenge of the language pledge. As soon as the pledge started, all the students began getting used to the sounds of our Chinese names and growing into our new identity as foreigners, although we made many mistakes, confusing tones or flipping characters around, our roommates and teachers were always patient and encouraging, laughing with us and helping us take the next steps to making our Chinese more 地道。We had fantastic courses where small class sizes allowed everyone to participate and get our questions answered. Our teachers were super willing to answer questions after class hours and supported us to make sure that we all got the most out of the program. Some of my favorite memories also come from outside of class: cooking wonton soup, and going out for hot-pot, learning to play Harbin Majiang, taking my first high speed train ride on our class trip to Beidaihe (where we saw the eastern-most section of the Great Wall), and learning to bargain, and picking up on local slang from our roommates.

There are so many great things to say about CET's Beijing programs. The Chinese classwork is demanding yet rewarding, the social life in the city is fulfilling, and the classmates you are surrounded with share your passions and open your eyes to new opportunities at the same time. Something that some other reviewers have not yet highlighted in depth is the helpfulness of the staff. I experienced a rather significant personal event while abroad, and the Resident Director (Zuo Cui) was right by my side through every step of the way. I honestly do not know what I would have done without her. When CET is recruiting future RD's, they should use Zuo Cui as a model, because she truly demonstrates the utmost care about each and every student through her actions.

Going into my summer in São Paulo, I couldn't help but think about the fact that I wasn't going to be in Rio. Visiting Rio 5 years ago was what motivated be to start studying Portuguese, and I wasn't sure how I felt about not being in the city that I had fallen in love with. However, after spending 6 weeks in São Paulo I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. São Paulo, compared to Rio, is a much better city to live in (in my opinion): it's safer, cleaner, not filled with tourists, and it has much better food/culture/music/museum options. Yes, it's a massive city, but it's a massive city filled with tons to discover, and I never found myself bored with São Paulo at all--it's really a fantastic place to live and study in.

Talking more about the program specifically, I have to say that I was quite impressed with the quality of the program. The program staff were all incredible and would go out of their way to help any student with anything from a restaurant recommendation to a health problem. The housing was great as well, and I think my experience in São Paulo was greatly enhanced just by living in an apartment with Brazilian roommates close to my own age (many friends, however, seemed to enjoy their homestays). The classes (Portuguese and Current Social Issues in Brazil) were intense but very well structured, and I was quite surprised at how much I actually learned in six short weeks. Lastly, one of the aspects of the program that most impressed me was all the excursions organized (and funded!) by CET staff. On these excursions, we were all able to explore more of São Paulo (and farther--the weekend trip to Paraty was definitely a highlight) while learning more about Brazil. They not only supplemented what we were learning in class, but they also gave us a taste of Brazilian life (and they were always fun). I'd highly recommend this program to anyone who is interested in Portuguese/Brazil and has already taken at least one semester of Portuguese--I had an incredible time and can't wait for the next time I'm in Brazil.

I was an AICAD student studying in Japan from January to August of 2016. Some of my most favorite memories in my life right now are from my months in Japan: learning and being able to finally speak Japanese, adventuring, connecting with Japanese roommates and other study abroad students, and experiencing a new way of life. Japan has so much to offer and I feel I was definitely able to make the most of my time. That being said, you can also end up only going to classes, never talking to your roommate, and only experiencing the activities the program schedules on field trips, so if you want the most out of the experience, it is important to be proactive.
I came into the program knowing very limited Japanese. There a far amount of English on signage around Japan, but honestly not many people speak English, so the entire experience is really being immersed in a Japanese only environment. At first, I couldn't speak it, and the first day I had a lot of challenges communicating with my roommate, who spoke very limited English. That being said, even by about two months into the program, I was able to get to a level of proficiency where I was able to stay with a non-English speaking family with minimal trouble. At the end of the program, the amount I was able to understand and speak really astounded me.
Being able to learn the language while we explored the country open up a lot of unique opportunities, too. Many of the most interesting activities that you can do are only advertised in Japanese, or are hosted by regular non-English speaking Japanese. My friend and I made our way up to Hokkaido for one of our breaks, and found ourselves in Furano, a small town surrounded by nature and mountains, and famous for it's winter skiing, summer lavender fields, and fresh dairy. When we went, we also didn't plan very well and didn't know what we wanted to do, but we spotted a tour of a dairy farm on our brochure, and decided to give it a try. In order to get a tour, you have to call and make an appointment in Japanese, but we were able to do it and get a personal experience making ice cream from scratch. We later went to Tottori, where because we could communicate with the owner, we went blueberry picking and got free yogurt at the end of it. The owner even gave us a ride back to the station because she was so tickled we could speak to her.
Japan in general is an amazingly fun country to explore, but without knowing the language there are a good amount of things that are barred off to you. Going through this program is a really unique opportunity that helps open up a lot of opportunities and interactions with real people you wouldn't otherwise have gotten.
On the art side, the art school you go to, Osaka University of the Arts, has a beautiful campus, and really friendly teachers. It is in south Osaka, which doesn't have a lot of foreigners, so it's easy to feel out of place if you don't look Japanese. I took printmaking. Hora-sensei is very sweet, but will only speak to you in English. The print-making itself was interesting for me because that's not my major so I had to experiment and learn how to do it from scratch, so perhaps if you are already far along with printmaking proficiency, the class will feel more like an open studio because there is not very strict direction. It might help to come into the class with an idea for a project.

I would never stop talking if I tried to cover all the amazing stories and memories that I have from studying abroad with CET in Siena. The people involved with the program made all of these memories possible, and I will never forget the impact that they have had on me and as cliche as it may sound, I am a changed person because of this summer. The food, the friends, the teachers, the events, all contributed to my ever growing love of Italy, which now could be deemed as an unhealthy obsession. However, one day in particular will always stick with me as the most incredible day of my life. Myself and three other girls ventured to a castle for a wine tasting early in the morning, which had the most breathtaking view of the tuscan countryside (Castello di Poppiano). After a blissful morning there full of great wine and appetizers (including home made cantucci, which you will love if you go), we took an impromptu trip to Florence to stop in a leather store called Sabani. Marco, the shop owner, immediately offered us wine as soon as we walked in the store, which just added to the intoxicating smell of leather. After 5 hours of what was supposed to just be a quick "stop-in", we left with copious amounts of beautiful leather goods, full from tons of free pizza, more wine, some espresso, and a beautiful new friendship. This is and always will be my paradise, but not just because I was treated like a princess, but because this day truly represents everything I love about Italy: the generous and friendly people, the amazing food and wine, and Italians' love of life and spontaneity. I only got to experience my paradise because of CET and the unforgettable people I met, so all I can say is go, and find your own paradise.

If you want to travel somewhere to meet awesome people, go to Japan. The Japanese I met were some of the nicest, most considerate, most helpful people I've ever known, and that made the trip completely worth it. My roommate never hesitated to help me with my homework or show me a cool tourist destination. Some thing about Japan can be tough to figure out at first, and I would have struggled a lot had it not been for everyone going out of their way to help me. The Japanese were also always very respectful to me. I never had to deal with an angry cashier or frustrated bus driver; they were always calm and patient. Putting aside the incredible culture and super interesting language, Japanese people alone are reason enough to go to Japan.

For most Americans, when they say "Asian" or even "Asian-American" they lump all of East Asia and South-east Asia together. However for me as someone with cultural heritage from both Thailand and Hong Kong I find it really important to tell people that I'm not just a Asian-American or even a Chinese-American, I am a Hong Kong-Thai- American. I've heard stories, whether from my co-workers in China or from CET, that Chinese-Americans are usually judged at a higher standard than most people. While this might be the case for others, I really didn't feel this was true. First, my name in English is "translated" from my Cantonese name, sounds that don't even exist in Mandarin, so whenever I introduce myself people, including the CET teachers, assumed I was Korean. I also have really dark skin so people assume that I have southeast Asian blood in me and therefore can't speak Mandarin either. For me, I was really lucky because I looked foreign enough where most people wouldn't judge me too harshly if I messed up, but at the same time I looked "Chinese" enough that people wouldn't feel like they should practice English with me.
In terms of how my background affected my Chinese learning in class, I'm really grateful for the teachers at CET. One thing I was really worried about is the fact that a lot of the words I know in Mandarin Chinese are more Southern/Taiwanese style Mandarin, but the head teacher, Qu laoshi, assured me that this wouldn't be a problem. Her reasoning is that as Chinese-Americans, we've grown up using that terminology and while that terminology isn't necessarily standard, it isn't incorrect either so she sees no need to force us to change that habit. I was also horrified that they would try to change the way I said the pinyin "sh" and "s"s. Once again I say it with a Southern accent. Actually at one point I did get into an argument with one of my teachers, but that argument quickly melted away as we continued the lesson. My other Chinese teacher said that as we are in the 300 level class, it is too late to change our accents. She thought it was more valuable to learn new grammar and words rather than to change something like grammar. I agree with this reasoning. The point of language is to communicate and I feel like no matter what accent you have, some one will always think you have an accent.
My Chinese teacher was also really good at telling me when I was using a Cantonese/Southern way of saying something rather than the Mandarin way of saying something. Rather than saying I was wrong, she would simply say that in the mainland they don't use that phrase/word and tell me what they use in the mainland. The teachers I've had in the past would straight-out say I was wrong so I'm grateful that the teachers in CET have a basic understanding of other dialects.