Leaving the United States for the First Time

When I arrived in Taipei at 5 in the morning, it was the most overwhelmed I had ever felt in my entire life. I was jet-lagged, nervous, scared, but most importantly I was excited. When I stepped off of the plane, I finally realized that I was in Taiwan. For my first trip outside of the United States, I really wanted to go far. Thanks to the suggestion of my good friend, I chose to spend my semester abroad in Taiwan. There was so much about the CIEE program that I loved. It was overall an unforgettable experience that has without a doubt changed me.

From my very first time meeting everyone involved with CIEE, I knew that I was in good hands. Any questions or concerns that I had were immediately and effectively addressed. As the semester went on, I began to look at CIEE and those involved as a second family- my home away from home. They helped me make the most of my first time traveling outside of the United States.

For any future participants, I have some suggestions for all of you. I would highly recommend getting comfortable walking shoes. It was common for me to walk over 6 miles in a day. Also, if you live on the NCCU campus you may very well end up living on top of a mountain. It is incredibly important that you prepare for all sorts of weather. Bring an umbrella with you wherever you go. There were a few times where I was caught outdoors without an umbrella as a downpour began. I can tell you that is not a good time.

I would also recommend that you take advantage of the cultural ambassadors. These students who volunteer their time to work with the students in the CIEE program are awesome. I would not have experienced some of the coolest things in Taipei had it not been for them. They are also incredibly helpful with language practice. They were also happy to help with any issues that I had. And if you ever have any medical concerns, the ambassadors will be more than willing to assist you. For each of the 6 times I had to go to the hospital or medical clinic while I was in Taiwan (I have pretty bad luck and was injured for a good deal of my semester), a cultural ambassador always offered to help me with getting to the hospital and communicating with the doctors there. Through a competitive process, CIEE selects some amazing people to be cultural ambassadors. To make the most of your time abroad, make a strong effort to become friends with them. Those are the friendships that will last long after you leave Taiwan.

As a cautionary note, I would strongly advise any future participants to do research on any classes you take at NCCU. The language class you will take through CIEE will be fantastic. However, for the courses you take through NCCU, the quality of the course can differ greatly from what you may be used to at your home university. If you want your academic experience to be worthwhile, I recommend that you talk to students at NCCU and find out as much as you can about the course and the professor. Studying abroad is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience so it is important that you enjoy as much of it as you can. Choosing good courses can help ensure that you will have a worthwhile academic experience during your time in Taiwan.

Overall, I was incredibly satisfied with my experience in the CIEE program. My semester abroad would not have been the same without each and every person involved in CIEE. If you choose to go to Taiwan through the CIEE program, you will not regret it. I will be forever grateful to them for making my time abroad so special.