Program Reviews

CET Jordan is an incredible program for language aquisition. The teachers are incredible, class sizes are small, and there are a plethora of opportunities to customize learning to how you like and need. We had 2 hours a week of 1-on-1 office hours, which was a great way to get to know my teacher and to improve on my personal language struggles. The elective classes were interesting, although the directed research class was very very independent, especially if your research interest didn't fall under the professors realm of experience. The administration was great and supportive. If you are focused on Arabic aquisition this program is for you. I will say I think host families would help with that, but that of course comes with its own difficulties. The location is in a nice area in Amman, although a little disconnected from public transportation if that is a priority of yours. CET is good because you can chose how connected to the program/cohort you want to be.

I loved CET Taiwan mostly for the reason that it was in Taiwan. Classes were overall fine, and I made a couple really close friends, but the island's food, activities, and different cities all were the most memorable.

You only take a Chinese language course and an elective course, so the academic course load isn't that heavy. I really enjoyed the Chinese course because I had an understanding and capable teacher and my classmates were all fun to be around. My professor for this class made an effort to get to know each of us on a personal level. I love to sew and so did she, so we would talk about this during break times, and she even gave me a Qipao sewing pattern that I could take back with me to the states. The class moves very quickly, but this wasn't a huge deal to me because the language placement test was pretty accurate. I took the internship class for my elective course, and if you're planning on doing this program, this is the course I'd recommend. The internship class itself felt like mostly busy work, and I don't think I gained a whole lot from it. However, the internship placement was a lot of fun and really hands on. I interned at a news station, and was out in the field shadowing reporters every shift, so I gained a lot from that experience.

Even when I wasn't in class or internship, I still found that I was busy all the time. Honestly, I was exhausted and sleep deprived most of the semester, but because I filled my whole schedule, I got to experience a lot of Taiwan. I went on day trips or overnight trips on the weekend (most of which are pretty affordable), and during the week, I would go to new places in Taipei. My all time favorite trip was a weekend trip with my roommate to an island in the south called Xiaoliuqiu and a city called Taizhong. Travel was a bit stressful, but the train system is pretty convenient. We spent about half a day at Xiaoliuqiu, which had perfect warm weather for snorkeling and some good street snacks. Then at night, we traveled back up to Taizhong where we spent the whole next day touring. The Gaomei wetlands were super cool though a little rainy. We also went on a two hour bike ride in the pouring rain to get to a subway station to take us into the city, which in theory does not sound fun, but looking back it is my favorite part of the semester.

Its really hard to manage time while abroad, especially since everyone back home was on a complete opposite time zone, so phone calls always ran really late into the night. Time went by fast, so I felt a pressure to do as much as possible, which has it's upsides and downsides. I could have balanced my time better, but I know I would have regretted not doing some activities, so I wouldn't change anything even if I could.

My favorite part about being in Taiwan was the food. It is really yummy, affordable, has lots of options, and usually pretty quick and convenient. If I ever found myself doing nothing in my apartment, I would go out with a friend to a new place to eat. There are so many boba shops around Taipei, I had it so many times I got sick of it (did not think that was possible).

CET also gave us reimbursements for daily public transportation, meeting with language partners, and doing cultural activities. All of these motivated me to try things that normally I wouldn't because I didn't have to worry about the cost of it. I loved going to tea houses, but they tend to be on the pricier side, so the cultural reimbursement made it possible for me to go more than just one time.

To begin, I'd like to emphasize that this curriculum takes intense Arabic studies but is extremely rewarding. I had only taken one semester of Arabic during my first year of university prior to this program. When I first moved to Jordan, I knew very little Arabic. But only after two weeks of classes. I was able to express my wants, grasp and comprehend simple phrases, and hold basic conversations. My favorite quality of this program is how much Jordanian culture is woven into our studies and daily life. We went on multiple field trips throughout our time in Amman, also had Jordanian neighbors, Language partners. Which played a huge role into our cultural immerse.

My primary goal was to learn Ammiya (Jordanian dialect) Arabic, which is spoken by the locals. So, when I expressed an interest in developing my conversational abilities, my teacher was very supportive, and we scheduled one-on-one sessions throughout the week to practice conversing. Which led to the accomplishment of my goal and my ultimate personal success in this program.

I loved my semester studying Chinese in Taiwan. The classes were small and intensive but also super fun, and there are plenty of opportunities to practice your language skills when you’re out and about. The switch to traditional characters wasn’t as challenging as I expected, you’ll get used to it via exposure. I did an internship along with my language classes which meant that I had less free time, but I’m glad that I got to experience the work culture there. There’s a LOT to see and do in Taipei — museums, nightlife, hiking, eating, etc. — and public transport to other parts of the country is pretty reliable, especially if you take the High Speed Rail. Would super recommend you to take a train out to the south in the weekend!

Taiwan is a special place! My study abroad wasn’t all perfect but I really loved it there.

This program is great if you want to see a lot of Florence. The classes take you to so many locations--I really feel like I saw all of the important Florence sites and was able to learn a lot about them from my professors. The program also had a lot of included extra activities like gelato tasting, a cooking class, a soccer game, and a pool day at a Tuscan villa.

Florence is a really great city as a study abroad students. There are so many students from US schools and it is really fun to meet them all. Traveling from the train station is so easy, too--pretty quick train ride to Rome, Milan, Pisa, and a lot of other great places, and easy to get to the airport. The week long fall break is great for seeing a lot of Europe.

Studying abroad with CET Siena was the most rewarding experience of my life so far! As a first-generation & Latina student, imposter syndrome made the idea of studying abroad seem impossible but everyone at CET Siena made me feel so welcomed and like I finally belonged somewhere. The staff genuinely care about getting to know you and put in so much effort to make your stay as comfortable and fun as it can be, from choosing nice apartments to planning a fun and immersive weekend trip. The roommates are some of the best people I have ever met. The staff plan some great weekly bonding events that help immerse you in Italian culture, let you get to know them and your peers, and get you walking around the beautiful town and learn about all its unique history. They’re also a wonderful resource to help you practice Italian language!

In terms of academics, the professors are very receptive of your needs. The Italian course is very comprehensive and it makes learning and practicing Italian in Siena so much less scary. Class schedules are arranged so you have plenty of time in the day to explore the city, visit the biweekly market, and enjoy the amazing Tuscan sunsets (one of my favorite things to do during my time there). The workload is also pretty light overall so you can take weekend trips relatively stress-free. If you’re looking to improve your Italian skills, CET Siena is definitely your best choice. English isn’t spoken as commonly as in other Italian study abroad cities (Florence, Rome, etc.) so you really get to practice what you learn in the classroom! In my experience, the people of Siena are genuinely happy to hear people trying to speak Italian and are very kind even if you make some mistakes. As a Latina, you find so much in common with Italians and Italian culture that you can genuinely feel like you’re at home.

The experience wouldn’t be complete without the food and travel. Siena has some amazing restaurants and local shops that have some of the best foods I’ve ever tried (if you choose CET Siena you should definitely check out the Tea Room by Piazza del Mercato). CET Siena also sets up a cooking class activity where you learn to make your own pasta and sauces from scratch at an incredible restaurant — it was one of my favorite activities by far! Traveling around Italy is super accessible from Siena’s train station; I was able to visit six other cities in Italy and four other countries during my time abroad for a relatively low cost. Siena itself is a very walkable city with very pretty architecture, making your walks to class or the store more enjoyable.

One of my favorite aspects of the program is the opportunity to meet other students from different US universities. The people I studied abroad with are now some of my best friends and made learning Italian and exploring the country so much fun. Overall, my study abroad experience with CET Siena was one of the most memorable periods of my life so far and I would do it all again if given the chance!

Going abroad with CET Colombia really opened my eyes to the intersectionality within the Afro-Diaspora.I about race ethnicity and land territories as it applies to Afro and Indigenous Colombians. I was able to travel to different parts of the Colombian Pacific and Caribbean Coast and have meaningful conversations with Local Afro-Colombians in Spanish! I was learning Spanish before I went abroad but after those three months my Spanish improved dramatically and I am able to have conversations with different types of Spanish speakers. Everything that I learned in the classroom was translated into field experiences. It was indeed an immersive cultural experience.

My time in Colombia was amazing! I learned so much about Afro-Colombian culture, Colombian history, and society as a whole. My program not only allowed me to learn about new places and cultures but also forced me to be introspective and learn new things about my own identity. It caused me to reevaluate the way that I perceive myself in different spaces, and analyze the way that culture influences identity. Overall, I feel that this was an amazing opportunity and has heavily influenced the way that I learn about and analyze different topics and the way that I see myself and the world around me.

I genuinely had one of the best summers with CET in Taiwan and would highly recommend CET Taiwan to dedicated Chinese learners! I came to this summer with no idea what to expect— I had never been to Taiwan/studied abroad before— but I fell in love with Taiwan so fast this summer.

In terms of CET: CET was so helpful with getting us amazing & convenient apartments, planning weekend trips, etc. One of the best parts of CET was that their office was super accessible (walk-in, M-F), so I went there whenever I had any questions. When I got hurt and needed to go to the hospital, Geoblue (the insurance that CET provides) paid for all my expenses and the CET helped me through the process so that I would not have to pay out of pocket.

In terms of Taiwan/Taipei: FOOD is amazing, cost of living is so cheap, and people are so nice and friendly. I had the chance to make some Taiwanese friends too through language partners and mutual friends! I also think that Taipei is such a fun place to live since you can experience the city but also nature (go hiking, to the beach, etc) within a 1 hr commute. If you love fresh tropical fruit (mangoes/dragonfruit/papaya/pineapples), Taipei is the place for you.

In terms of academics: our classroom had about 7 people and I would say that was the average amount of students per class. My professor was so sweet! It was a bit of an adjustment to learn how to read in traditional chinese, but it got easier over time and I'm glad I did. I had class from 8am-11am everyday which meant that I had the whole day to explore the rest of Taiwan. I spent about 30 minutes-1 hour on homework everyday, and the workload was light. Our vocab units ranged from women's rights (ie abortions, sexism, etc) to romantic relationships (dating, marriage, love), covering a lot of useful topics. The one thing was that we didn't really cover chengyu or abstract concepts since the class was more oriented on practical vocabulary.

Another thing that's helpful is to read the CET blogs— Along with many other students, I’ve shared some of my specific experiences on it. https://cetacademicprograms.com/photo-essay-cet-taiwan-14/

I picked Prague after previously visiting the city and falling in love with the buildings and parks that created a desire for me to go back and keep exploring what the city had to offer. I have no regrets in picking CET Prague. The program helped me understand the amazing history and deepen my cultural understanding of the city and Central Europe. The program requires you to take a beginning Czech language class which seemed daunting at first but helped me feel more connected to the city and show respect to its people (who overall really appreciated when we would try to speak Czech with them). Some of my other favorite classes were "Central European Film" and "Kafka and other Central European Literature". Both classes added in my cultural understanding and proved to be great conversation starters when we met with other lecturers on traveling seminars. Czech food also seemed like it wouldn't be my cup of tea, but I have developed a love for goulash and garlic soup. However, even if you decide that food isn't for you, there are so many different restaurants with a variety of different cuisines to try across the city. I also loved being with people from all across the US, not just from my home institution. This aspect helped me make life long friends that I most likely would have never met if I didn't do the program (and now I have more connections/places to visit in the US). The staff was also extremely supportive and felt like family. They really took the time to get to know you and spend time with you which is not something I have always experienced in previous programs. This was my favorite semester for so many reasons and I owe it all to CET Prague!