Program Reviews

CET Florence was an unforgettable experience! Before coming to the program, I was nervous about going abroad and meeting new people. Yet, when I arrived in Florence, all that anxiety melted when I met my roommates and had a weekend filled with group activities to meet people! CET did a great job getting people to meet and become friends quickly! Additionally, CET was extremely accommodating with housing! Whenever I had an issue with my housing, they were immediately attentive to the problem. I also was able to travel every weekend and CET helped me figure out which hostels were safe and gave recommendations for what to do and see. Their suggestions were super helpful since I never been to Italy!

This was my first time traveling to Taiwan and it certainly did not disappoint! I studied abroad during the Fall 2022 semester when COVID-19 regulations were strict, so there were some notable differences. For example, I was required to stay in a quarantine hotel for a week after my arrival and I lived in an apartment with four other CET students as my roommates. During my quarantine, CET held orientation remotely, which made it difficult for me to connect with other students in my cohort. The transition from remote to in-person was stressful but also exciting. Because CET was unable to host a large start-of-program meal, they instead funded a meal for me and my roommates so we could get to know each other better. While my beginning study abroad experience suffered due to COVID-19, I applaud CET in its efforts to recoup the excitement that comes with starting one's time abroad.

Because Taipei is such a rich city with plenty of attractions and historical landmarks, I was extremely thankful for the cultural activity reimbursement CET offered. It encouraged me to explore everything Taipei and Taiwanese culture had to offer. In addition, CET also hosted some cultural excursions to places outside of Taipei which were packed to the brim with historical and cultural learning as well as social experiences with Taiwanese locals. My personal favorite trip was to Pinglin Tea Farm where we learned about the tea-making process!

As for Chinese language speaking opportunities, CET set me up with a Taiwanese language partner from NTU who was the perfect match for me. We shared some common interests but diverged in our cultural backgrounds allowing us to converse about our similarities and learn about each other's differences. While I was glad that CET offered language partners and daily 3-hour long Chinese language classes, I wished that there was a language pledge enforced in apartments, so I could improve my Chinese speaking even more. Regarding the daily commute, it was around 30 minutes to class for me (10 minutes to the subway station and 20 minutes by bike). However, I was fortunate enough to live directly next to an MRT station. Some students lived 10 to 15 minutes away from an MRT station, which made commuting much more time-consuming.

Towards the middle of the program, I was feeling pretty homesick at the time, so I sought out a therapist while studying abroad. The health insurance provider's app was extremely easy to navigate and helped connect me with an in-network therapist. While it took a few weeks to process at the clinic, the insurance provider covered five individual therapy sessions for me. It was a pleasant but welcomed surprise as most health insurance providers in the U.S. don't cover mental treatment and only physical ailments.

Overall, I had a terrific, unforgettable, and fulfilling experience with CET Taiwan and I would encourage other college students to seriously consider studying abroad in Taiwan when looking at Mandarin Chinese language programs abroad.

Living in Japan felt like a fever dream. The immersion in the culture was great but challenging at first. Being a foreigner was hard because I had to overcome language barriers and cultural customs. Sometimes it was hard to be away from family at 18. But being in Japan taught me lots of discipline. English is not really spoken throughout Japan so it had forced me to use Japanese skills. The language pledge was challenging at times because I was not fluent but it taught me perseverance. Another part of just being a foreigner in Japan was the way I dressed and just my look had been uncomfortable for some locals. I remember sitting in the trains and having people move away from me. It made me feel sad sometimes because I didn’t know if I was making the people feel uncomfortable but overtime I realized that they’re not used to seeing foreigners as much as I am in the U.S. The CET program did a very good job at explaining the way Japanese people may act towards you and also giving a good explanation of DOs and DONTs in Japan.

I studied with the CET in Florence, Italy this summer (2023) and had an amazing experience. The CET staff were super helpful and kind, and did a great job making everyone feel safe and included. They also hosted several events throughout the program so we were able to experience as much of Florence as possible. Florence is a beautiful destination to study in full of art, history, and plenty of gorgeous views. Taking weekend trips was also super easy and the CET staff were more than happy to assist with travel plans and give recommendations.

I spent the summer of 2023 with CET in Beijing, the first CET group back in mainland China after the pandemic. While I was initially nervous about going to China, it was clear that CET was fully prepared for the challenges we might run into, and had planned an amazing two months for us. Besides the intensive language courses, the two months included a five-day trip to Chengdu, optional weekend cultural activities, a forum with Renmin University, weekly extracurricular classes, and more. CET also helped us set up phones and bank accounts in China, one of the aspects I was most worried about before going.
CET's Chinese course was a challenge, but a challenge with clear rewards, which I would emphasize to students interested in language study but worried about whether it’s worth it to go abroad. Over the course of two months, I progressed from only being able to read short, artificial dialogues in a textbook, to being able to read Chinese short stories. Before I came to China, I couldn’t have an everyday conversation in Chinese; now, I have multiple friends from Beijing I keep in touch with only in Chinese, and I gave speeches in Chinese at the forum and at our graduation ceremony. In our first martial arts class, I could hardly understand what the teacher was saying; by our last one, I could be coached through a martial arts routine only in Chinese. While the day-to-day workload could sometimes feel overwhelming, we truly made progress every single day. Additionally, our wonderful teachers took us on excursions to practice Chinese in Beijing, such as a Chinese bookstore, a hutong museum, and a restaurant selling traditional Beijing foods. Every Friday, after our exams we had "Chinese Table" with them, eating authentic food at a local restaurant.
I also enjoyed that CET Beijing had a satisfying balance of pre-scheduled activities and free time. The scheduled activities were so unique--we ate takeout hot pot on a livestream for the restaurant Haidilao while in Sichuan, for example. This free time allowed us to become more confident and independent in experiencing Beijing ourselves, learning to take the subway, visit museums, even plan independent travel for the weekend. It also gave me more confidence in the possibility of returning to travel in China myself in the future. One small caveat, I do wish the CET program organizers had planned a trip for us to the Forbidden City and/or the National Museum, the two most famous tourist sites in Beijing, but which were difficult to get tickets for.
Finally, CET paired us with language partners, graduate students at the university, which might have been my favorite part of the program, something I wish I had taken advantage of earlier on. Only in the last few weeks of the program did I truly appreciate this special opportunity to make friends with people from completely different backgrounds than us, and I’m so glad I had that realization and then spent more time having meaningful exchange with Chinese students.
I would add: while CET sets up the opportunities and schedule to have a great summer abroad, it’s ultimately up to the individual student to take advantage of these opportunities, to keep an open mindset, and to fully immerse themselves in the experience in order to have the best possible experience. I’m so grateful that was my experience, and I would recommend any student interested in China or Chinese to consider this program.

CET Taiwan was a well run program. At it's core is an intensive Chinese language program, 3 hours a day, everyday. There is no language pledge, so the program is suitable for all levels. There are internship opportunities available but the level of Mandarin needed varies. For students who want a full language immersion program, I might consider ICLP, literally upstairs in the same building where CET classes are held. Taiwan is beautiful and filled with friendly people. The food, travel and night life scene is very approachable and affordable. You can stretch the dollar a long way in Taiwan. Engaging with local Taiwanese students was also very cool as an American. If you are looking for an experience to expand your view of Taiwan beyond the televised military pressure, studying abroad in Taiwan will be worthwhile. Rewarding, challenging, well worth it.

I had a great time in Japan thanks to CET. They set up excursions for the students to do and it took us to places one wouldn't typically go to while traveling. Housing only a 10 to 15 minute train and walk from the school. It was located in a neighborhood filled with different restaurants and supermarkets. It was a really safe and convenient area, only a couple stops from the heart of the city of Osaka. I personally had a great relationship with the Japanese teachers, however I know of a couple friends that did not have the best experience with them. They were forced to move to a lower language class even when they had a higher language ability.

Having never travelled overseas before, let alone lived in a new and unfamiliar country, CET Prague opened up an entire world of future plans and experiences to me. I initially enrolled in this program because I could tailor my course schedule to my academic needs and interests as a Political Science major and History minor with an unfulfilled Arts credit, and I was excited to visit a new area of the world. Leaving the program, I had not only satisfied my academic and internship needs, but had acquired basic skills in a new language, a rich understanding of a new culture and history, and a city that I can always return to as a second home. CET Prague's best perks are the relatively small program size, the beautiful location of the academic building, the local faculty and roommates, and the priceless traveling seminar opportunities. On the other hand, you may find yourself stuck in a drab and overcrowded apartment forty minutes from class, which is either a plus (getting to live in a residential area outside of the noisy and tourist-saturated downtown, plus 3-4 potential new friends) or a minus (long commute, not very comfortable, plus 3-4 potential new enemies) depending on your point of view. Likewise, the academic building and national library's hours can be hard to plan around if you need a quiet and comfortable space away from home to study after classes (which can run late into the evening). Of course, studying abroad comes with certain anticipated discomforts if you are not used to travelling or living far from home, and you will quickly discover that your usual bad habits still follow you no matter where you are. As one such person, I do not think I had the "ideal" study abroad experience that some of my peers did - but with CET, I still had an incredible semester that I will never forget.

I took part in the 6-week Summer in Brazil program in 2023. I was staying in an apartment with 4 US students and one local Brazilian student in a well-located area. The program consisted of two 4-unit classes—Portuguese language and Contemporary Social Issues of Brazil—taught at the CET center by Brazilian professors. The courses were intensive but extremely rewarding. Everyone at CET was welcoming and helpful; there was a great sense of community. In addition to classes, there were extracurricular activities several times a week, including museums and city tours, that provided structure and plenty to do. The summer program is definitely intensive and group-oriented, but I found there was also plenty of time to explore the city on my own. Overall, I would highly recommend this program.

I enrolled in CET Taiwan during the spring semester of my sophomore year. Initially, I felt a bit overwhelmed since it was my first time traveling abroad on my own, however, I quickly adapted to life in Taipei. Even as a beginner speaker I was able to easily navigate public transportation, which CET covers. My only criticism is that classes are very fast paced, so retaining information from past lessons might be an issue. Additionally, housing is left up to chance. Although I was lucky enough to live in an Airbnb close to campus, some of my friends had over a 30 minute commute. Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Taiwan. I had the opportunity to explore, form friendships, and create lasting memories that I will treasure for years to come.