CET Taiwan: An unforgettable and fulling adventure abroad!

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.