CET Greater China

This was easily the best experience I've had during my undergrad years! Spending time in a country with a new language, new culture, and new people was so eye-opening and I know for sure that I grew personally and academically during my 3 months in Taiwan. I had never been away from home before going on this adventure and so the first couple of weeks there was a lot of re-adjusting and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. But after this experience, I am a true believer in the sentiment of "you can't grow unless you make yourself uncomfortable." I would not have met the amazing people and seen the beautiful places if I didn't go outside of my comfort zone and so my advice to anyone contemplating studying abroad and is fearful of so much 'new' at one time, it truly is worth it!

CET Taiwan was truly a great experience, although be warned that, while it is a study abroad program, it is much more academic intensive than many other programs. Students take three hours of Chinese classes per day, 5 days per week. The classes themselves do not feel like they take that much time, but the amount of daily homework often meant sacrificing time that could otherwise be used to explore Taipei, the rest of Taiwan, or engage in cultural activities. CET also requires either an internship or elective; I chose the elective. There are not many options to choose from, and while these only meet once per week for three hours, you can only miss one class because CET has such strict academic policies, and the amount of homework per week is not insignificant.

CET does provide a number of cultural activities for students which is especially great at the beginning of the semester when you don't yet know many people or feel comfortable exploring new places on your own. What really made the program great was that CET provided cultural reimbursements; while what qualified as a 'cultural activity' was sometimes a bit strict, it overall made it so that students on a budget could still explore the island.

The location of the program is amazing. Located right in Taipei, it is very convenient to take public transportation to classes or to go explore the rest of Taiwan. CET provided housing for all students, although even with public transportation, my provided apartment was still 45 minutes away from the classroom building. Taiwan has lots of things to do, whether you like exploring nature and going on hikes, swimming in the ocean, or finding museums and trying new foods.

CET Taiwan was a very fun and memorable program. On the program, you undergo an intensive Chinese program, where you are learning and practicing Mandarin on a day-to-day basis. The classes are fun, and CET prepares many resources for students, such as off-campus living arrangements, local roommates, an internship option, elective course, and optional cultural activities and field trips sprinkled throughout the semester. Taipei is a very big, fun, and convenient city, and it's great for students to both learn and experience. However, the semester is condensed into three semesters, so having a CET elective course on top of the Chinese course can feel a little overwhelming. However, if you're looking for internship experience, then CET is a great opportunity.

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.

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.

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 started studying Chinese when I was 13 years old. Almost 8 years later you’d think I would be fluent by now, but alas, that is not my reality. However, within these 8 years I have developed a deep appreciation for Chinese language and culture, so much so that I made it a personal goal of mine to spend a semester abroad in China. Congratulations, 13 year old Abigail, you did it!
As you may have guessed, life in Beijing was not what I had expected. In fact, it was the opposite. The bikes, the traffic, the pollution, the population density; it is, in every way possible, the opposite of my hometown. I thought I would find pockets of similarity, and for the first two weeks, that was all I was looking for, or so I thought. Looking back, it was not similarity that I was searching for at all, it was a sense of home. Those first two weeks were by far the most difficult. Not only was I adjusting to the academic rigor of the program itself, I was also trying to make a home within Capital Normal University and trying to create a support system within my fellow participants and CET faculty. Everything was hard, everything was unfamiliar. However, that feeling of home I was so desperately searching for, along with the support system I was working tirelessly to create, came quicker than I had expected it to. There’s something about working through a mutual struggle that creates a bond between those experiencing it, and a deep one at that. I truly believe I made life-long friends while on that program, both from my college and others. I learned that I was not as independent as I once believed myself to be, and that’s okay. I learned that it’s okay to struggle, that it’s okay to lean on others when you need to and that it’s okay to ask for help. I had been so focused on becoming emotionally self-sufficient that I had forgotten what it was like to really need someone. This experience helped me navigate that dependency in a healthy way.
While the personal growth that comes from studying abroad is unbeatable, the academic growth I experienced cannot be ignored. Within my first few years of college, I had heard about study abroad experiences in Europe, ample freetime allowing students to travel from country to country on a whim. For most, academics were able to be put second. I ignorantly went into this abroad experience anticipating something similar, I was rudely mistaken. In order to stay afloat at CET Beijing, your studies must come first. This program is known for its complete language immersion with a 24/7 language pledge put into place for all participants regardless of one’s location. There are quizzes every day, tests every week, and essays every weekend, in addition to your daily homework and studying. There is a clear expectation of excellence. With these expectations and requirements, you may believe that the staff is unconcerned with students well-being, but that could not be farther from the truth. Within my academic career thus far, I have had my fair share of faculty that are uninterested in creating a relationship with me, and are unwavering in their course requirements regardless of student feedback. The teachers that I was so privileged to have at CET Beijing were excellent, in and out of the classroom. They were always willing to help, regardless of the subject matter. The office faculty made themselves available to you throughout the day leaving their door open and encouraging students to stop by, even if it was just to chat. The CET faculty had always said Beijing was our second home, and by the end of the program, I really believed them.
For students on the fence between choosing to participate in CET Beijing or choosing to stay at their home institution, my advice would be to take that chance and go abroad. It’s bound to teach you something, if not about yourself, indefinitely about the world around you. What do you have to lose?

This program gives you many opportunities to learn Chinese which makes it a great Chinese program, you just have to take the leap. Nobody is going to force you. Each Semester at CET is different for example in the Fall semester the environment wasn’t as immersive as the Spring. There was too many students that quit the language pledge within the first weeks which made it hard for the students who wanted to make friends but couldn’t because the temptation to speak English was there all the time except for when class was in session. As I was at CET for spring 2019 and then Fall 2019 I had the opportunity to hear serval reasons why the Language Pledge was Impossible, but it's NOT impossible. In the past, I read reviews that said "stick to the language pledge" which I 100% agree with, but it sounds hard especially when you get into the 3rd weekend. Just Don't make an excuse for yourself as to why you can't do the Pledge. Don't tell yourself: I’ll start tomorrow, it's impossible, my Chinese level is too low, I’ll never make friends/connections, everyone else does it. Every day you will have challenges it's not easy but very possible to achieve with the help the all the CET staff and roommates. CET has a great structure, for example, Sunday to Thursday there are office hours, RD makes me feel secure, almost all teachers are friendly and ready to answer all the Chinese questions you have. The only things CET lacks is more training with the Chinese roommates help the CET Students with the culture shock. I feel like there needs to be not just a separate meeting about diversity/culture shock but also a joint meeting. I had been to China before my first semester at CET so the culture shock wasn’t a huge deal. But it is for most students. For example, I heard students say my roommate: leaves water on the floor, wash all her clothes in the sink, chews with her mouth open. Which are all normal parts of lifestyle in China. The 2nd problem is not really pushing the language pledge. Too many students start to get tricky if they notice that staff members are being too nice and not catching them when they speak English, which can ruin the experience. This program was challenging but rewarding. Starting at the beginner class was challenging. I wasn’t able to say anything except “I like …, I think…” for a while. I lost my personality at the beginning but gained much more than my personality at the end. I learn about north versus southern Chinese culture and language, where the locals eat, how to make jokes, have the confidence to ask questions/join clubs, meet new friends outside of CET, dream in Chinese, to be able to travel using Chinese, this list could go on forever. If I had the chance after graduating from University I would pick CET to study Chinese again.