CET Academic Programs Reviews

It is better to go into a study abroad experience with little to no expectations or preconceived notions. You are there to learn and have fun, not to worry about whether or not you will fit in. Most times you won't. Which is fine, but just be courteous and pay attention to social cues. You are representing your school and country, so even if you are stumbling drunk around the bar district at 2am, be sure you take care of each other and not hurt anyone. Other countries have much different prisons than America, most of the time they are much worse. Don't be that kid.

I expressed a great deal of my personal experiences on CET's study abroad blog, but in addition to those experiences, in general, I believe CET enables as close of an integration experience as is possible into Jordanian society.

CET was exactly what I had hoped for for my study abroad experience. By the end of the program my Chinese skills had exceeded even my most optimistic expectations. My confidence in using the language was also greatly increased. I am sill in touch with my Chinese roommate and we often share pictures now that we are far away.

I didn't really have a good feel for what the program and the city were like before I went. The website and literature could be much better about giving possible applicants an Idea of what they should expect. things such as enrollment numbers and gender breakdown for past semester. explanations of how course enrollment works. lists of most popular courses and courses that are normally offered. sample schedule of a student. local nightlife descriptions. pictures of the city and pictures of some of the housing. All of these things would give students a better Idea of what the program was like before they show up.

Italy is the most beautiful place. Traveling was pretty easy and cheap, as was staying in hostels. A plane ride to Paris only cost me 14 euro with Ryanair.com, and most hostels were less than 20 euros per night. The academic side wasn't great though. It was much more work than I expected, without learning a lot from it. I did learn a lot of Italian but my class was extremely stressful. I got better at Italian by hanging out with the locals, but there isn't really a great social scene that suited my interests. In Siena there are a few bars, but not really dance clubs or party opportunities. I was very surprised to learn that Italians don't really drink. They may have a glass of wine, but rarely do they get any sort of drunk. The contrada parties are so fun though! Lots of dancing. CET has a great set-up with a group of Italians from the University of Siena - we got drinks (aperitivo) with them every week. It was my favorite part of Siena; I made some great Italian friends. Most of my dislikes stemmed from not getting along very well with the students in my program, but by the end, we were great friends, and everything was smoothed over. The food is INCREDIBLE. I ate everything in sight and still lost five pounds because the food is so organic and well-made (compared to American preservatives). Going to soccer games was very fun too. Italians are SO into it! Siena is very small: within the walls it's about a 30 minute walk from one side to the other. It's also very safe. No one had any trouble with pickpocketing or any theft. The housing was great - I had my own room and an Italian flatmate. Overall, though I wasn't very happy for most of it (it's really hard feeling lonely or depressed in a foreign country), it ended up being a really great, life-changing experience. If I'm being SUPER honest though, while I think studying abroad in general is very important, I may have chosen a different program (maybe even a different country) that was bigger and better suited to my personal needs.

The building location was in a great location, easy to move around with the tram to the center. The appartment had a great amount of space and the local roommates were great. I haven't really encountered any difficulties that I can remember. The weekly routine with classes were quickly adapted and left enough time for us to enjoy the city as well. The satff was helpful throughout the program and everything was well organized. I really can't complain about anything, I had the best and unforgettable experience of my life. I would do it again if I could!

When someone asks me what it was like to study abroad with CET in Beijing, I always say, “It was awesome.” So why is this? CET’s Intensive Chinese Language program not only provides you with great support from teachers who are more than willing to help you, but also with a warm and friendly environment by competitively selecting Chinese roommates from across Beijing and by choosing a wide variety of American college and sometimes, gap year students.

The immersion experience in Beijing really adds to what this vibrant city has to offer, because you are placed in such small institution such as the Beijing Institute of Education (BIE) and because you are in a neighborhood where, by nature you along with your classmates are the main group of foreigners, compared to other neighborhoods like Wudaokou 五道口 or Sanlitun 三里屯, you become very close to the others American and Chinese students in the program. Excursions, which are included in tuition, that take place every Friday around Beijing’s various sights, such as the Summer Palace, the more modern 798 Art District, and an acrobatic show, allows you to see Beijing more through the eyes of a local than a tourist.

The most critical characteristic about this program is the language pledge. Although the language pledge is strict in class and out, it also challenges you in a positive way. The Chinese roommates are also under a language pledge. I remember within a month, seeing the changes and improvements in everyone’s language level. After the first few weeks kick in, it’s much more enjoyable to speak with everyone. As a 200 level (2nd year at the college level) student in Beijing, I had about 3-4 hours of class per day. Scattered throughout the week were one-on-ones with teachers and one-on-twos with other students, which effectively target your oral Chinese skills. Other students who placed into 300, 400, or 500 level Chinese classes had additional classes about other aspects of Chinese culture in Chinese.

There are also volunteer experiences outside of the CET bubble as well. I volunteered in Wudaokou at BEAM, Bridging Education and Mobility, for their Big Brother, Big Sister project last spring every Saturday (2013). BEAM is organization aimed to “provide the proper incentives and support for teachers in migrant, rural, and disability classrooms to turn their own ideas into unique opportunities for their students to grow". I was able to both make connections with some of Beijing’s migrant children, but also with other expats working in Beijing and other international students studying at different universities in Beijing.

The most positive takeaways for me about this program were the immersion possibilities outside of the classroom. CET really encourages you to explore the city and reimburses cultural visits to museums, movies, and historical sites under 70-100 RMB (*price varies). I had the most fun exploring other parts of China over a weeklong spring break, seeing David Guetta at the Great Wall Music Festival, and meeting other expats by volunteering at BEAM every weekend. The connections that CET provides is invaluable and both the staff and teachers are very open and approachable. However, it is good to keep in mind that this program has high expectations on academics and because of the language pledge, you may feel more homesick than if you were on a non-language pledge program. The pollution in Beijing is not the most ideal, but many CET students, including myself were able to go to a local gym for exercise. Also good to know that in this program, only lunch is served at the cafeteria so students have to buy their own breakfasts and dinners. However the neighborhood has a lot of family run businesses and restaurants that have good food for very little. I had a very positive experience with CET and if what I have written above sounds appealing to you, then it may be the right fit for you too.

4 classes meeting 2/3 times a week and keeping the language pledge greatly improved my Chinese speaking, listening, reading! At most, 5 students per teacher, so close friends and connections. So many happy memories of school dances, weekend trips to different parts of Harbin, hiking mountains, ice-skating on the soccer field, eating at local restaurants - even celebrating Christmas in the dorm study room with friends. Altogether, one of the best experiences of my life.

I initially selected to go to China through CET because a former student at my college had studied abroad with their program, and upon her return, her language skills were significantly improved. Additionally, both I and my parents felt it safer to go through a program rather than directly applying to a college in China, especially because at the time my language skills were at a low-intermediate level and I was concerned about whether I would be able to get by on my own in Beijing.

In terms academic rigor, the program definitely didn't disappoint. The classes were very small (about 8 people in each main class and 4 in drill groups), and the teachers were incredibly experienced. Both the main grammar classes and the drill classes were extremely helpful and structured well. The one-on-one lessons that were offered were particularly great –– not only was I able to increase my fluency significantly and get help with individual issues, but also develop a rapport with my teachers.

The campus was very safe, but also very small especially in comparison with the other CET campus in Beijing. There were about 40 CET students and equally as many Chinese roommates. At times this could feel almost constraining, but in general there really was a great sense of community. I came out of this experience knowing all of the people in my program very well. Everyone was incredibly nice and there were plenty of activities for students to branch out beyond campus, and the staff was incredibly helpful in this regard.

The best part of the program for me though, was getting to live with a Chinese roommate. She was such an amazing person, and we became really great friends during my stay in China. We still keep in touch.

Going into this program, I had no idea what kind of summer adventure I was going to have, but I knew it was going to be interesting to say the least. Arriving in Shanghai, my roommate was waiting for and we travelled back to Donghua, the university I would be living at for the summer. I knew, just from that moment, my roommate was going to be the best part about my summer. She helped me struggle through learning Mandarin and always encouraged me to speak Chinese, even if I messed up over and over again. She took me around to museums and different restaurants (she learned that I loved spicy food and brought me to as many places as possible).
Living in Shanghai was an experience in of itself. Everyday the city brought something new and surprising to my life. I was constantly out of my comfort zone, but i loved every moment; the city always kept me on my toes.
I learned so much about myself from being in Shanghai. I am so thankful for this program and the entire CET staff who were always there for us when we needed anything.