An Invaluable Experience

CET in Kunming has several defining features: very small class sizes, a language pledge, and Chinese roommates.

The Kunming program is distinct from other CET programs in that students in Kunming are placed in a city where very few locals speak English. This makes it easy to uphold the language pledge, and gives foreign students a sense of authentic Chinese culture, instead of being surrounded by Western influences. Furthermore, we were not overly affected by pollution, which is a rarity in modern China.

My day-to-day activities went like this: get up early to go for a run around the nearby lake (yep, you can go running outside in Kunming!). Come back, shower, and review characters for the quiz of the day. Go to class for four hours in a class of four students. Eat lunch in the cafeteria and then go to a one-on-one tutorial for half an hour. Work, either in my room, the common activity room in the dormitory, or at a local cafe. Go exploring around the campus or in the city center. Come back for dinner with friends and roommates. Work a bit more. Sleep. Repeat.

If you're looking to become fluent in Chinese, this is the only way to do it. The only students who struggled with the program were those who weren't committed to improvement. It takes dedication and hard work to get through this program, but if you have the drive, I can't recommend this experience highly enough.