CET Italy

At CET Florence you got to class Monday-Thursday. Typically classes ended for everyone at 3:30 on Thursday’s. The classes were manageable where you did not have to do work on the weekends. Florence was absolutely beautiful, safe, lots of amazing food, shops, hikes, and overall good food. So many study abroad students and younger people. However, florence has a small airport so it’s expensive to travel to milan and rome to fly for weekend trips, and it rained a lot this spring! when the weather is nice, it’s perfect. I highly recommend this program!

I think that CET Florence did an amazing job of really making the program unique to the city. This came not only from their course options, but from their activities as well. The activities included going to surrounding cities, going to gorgeous locations, trying regional foods, or even just discovering the history that makes Florence, Florence! The staff were all very helpful, professors wanted us to make the most of our abroad experience, and the city itself was perfection. I WILL be returning

My experience overall was amazing. Siena as a city was all I hoped it would be. The environment of the ancient medieval city was breathtaking and simple in the best way. Every evening I would take walks around Siena, enjoying the views, breathing in the smells of all of the local eateries, listening to music, and just observing all of the other locals taking their evening walks as well. It can be difficult to travel outside of Siena because of its Tuscan location and limited access to public transit, but this is a universal Italian issue.

My four months abroad in Florence were the best months of my life. Florence is an incredible city, rich in history, amazing food, and warm, welcoming people. Though it’s small, there’s an endless amount to see and do; you’ll never get tired of exploring all that Florence has to offer. Whether you're walking through Palazzo Vecchio and crossing the iconic Ponte Vecchio, climbing to the top of the Duomo for a breathtaking view of the city, or watching the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence will leave you awestruck by its beauty. Another great thing about studying in Florence is how accessible the train station is, making it incredibly easy to take weekend trips and explore all the other amazing cities Italy has to offer. Spending a few months there gave me the opportunity to truly immerse myself in the local culture and connect with the people who call Florence home. I got to know the baristas at my neighborhood coffee shop and exchanged daily smiles with the familiar faces on my walk to class. The locals are so kind and genuine, you’ll always feel like you belong. Florence didn’t just feel like a destination; it felt like home, and I know I’ll carry a piece of it with me wherever I go.

My experience was unique in that, unlike many of my friends in other cities, I was not ready to leave Florence at the end of the semester! This is truly a testament to my experience, which could not have been more positive, formative, and exciting. Living in Florence helped me to grow personally and professionally: not only did I develop a greater sense of independence, but I also nourished helpful skills, such as budgeting, planning, and, above all, assimilating to an entirely new environment.

I absolutely recommend CET as a program. I attend a small liberal arts college, and I found that CET coursework was interesting yet manageable. I am accustomed to small classes, so I appreciated the seminar style of many of my courses. My professors met and/or exceeded my expectations, and I enjoyed taking courses specific to Italian studies, such as my language course, my Italian history course, and my class on the Medici family. Professors were helpful and accommodating, always happy to meet with students and offer support. I also loved site visits with my classes: we went to many museums, palazzos, and churches, which helped me to get to know and love Florence all the more.

I was initially concerned that the small program size would inhibit my ability to get to know new people, especially from other colleges, but I found that there was actually an opposite effect. The small program size encouraged our entire cohort to become friendly, and I was happy to become close with friends from other universities.

I also recommend CET because of the housing. While many of my friends in other cities and programs were in dorm-style housing, I was fortunate enough to be in an apartment, which made my experience authentic. What's more, my apartment was in the city center, allowing for a truly immersive semester. Though there are many study abroad students in Florence, which can make it challenging to interact with Italians as frequently as one might expect, my neighborhood consisted of many local families.

Lastly, I recommend CET because of the staff and the activities. The on-site team is incredibly supportive and helpful with any and all student needs, from arrival to departure. In August, the staff met us at the airport and provided taxis to our apartments. We then went on short walking tours of the city, followed by a detailed, comprehensive orientation the next day. They also supported students by providing tips on travel and even explaining how to use unfamiliar appliances in our apartments!

In terms of activities, CET offers various excursions throughout the semester, with meals and transportation provided. We visited Rome, a beach, and an Etruscan site. We also learned how to make Tuscan cuisine in cooking classes and went on hikes.

I had a fantastic semester in Florence -- it wasn't just my "home base" for classes during the week, but an incredible city in which I never ran out of things to do and sites to see. I'm grateful to CET not only for great classes, but wonderful activities, immersive housing, and supportive staff.

Overall, I enjoyed my time in Florence at CET! The housing accommodations were nice and the apartments were well equipped with all the essentials - furnished with all linens (sheet + towels), cooking utensils, pots/pans, dishes, etc. Almost all apartments were within a 15 minute walk from the school. The neighborhood felt safe. My favorite part about the CET program itself was the number of free events the staff planned and offered for us.

The academics: some of the midterms and finals were more difficult than my home university because of the amount of work required (ex: a final paper, a presentation, and an exam). Quality of instructors varied. CET does a great job of ensuring you are completing school while also having ample time to travel and enjoy life abroad.

CET did an amazing job in easing the transition from home to studying abroad. Specifically, they made pre-arrival materials very easy to understand, such as aiding with visas and taking care of housing for us.

My favorite part of the program was the Renaissance Art & Architecture class since it helped me really get to know the city of Florence. All of the teachers are extremely passionate about what they teach, so going to class and doing assignments was actually fun!

The one issue I had with the program was that it was difficult to make friends outside of my university. Since large groups from a small variety of schools attend the CET program, it seems like not many people were willing to branch out and meet new people. Perhaps CET could have instated more random small-group activities or assignments.

Overall I had the most amazing semester and would definitely recommend CET to anyone interested in studying abroad in Italy!

I highly recommend this program! This was such a fun semester and I can't believe it's over. The apartments are all in the center of Florence, walking distance to everything - classes, restaurants, bars, and even the train station was only 15-20 minute walk away. The quality of your apartment really depends on luck.

The classes were engaging and the perfect difficulty level for a semester abroad. We had lots of fun site visits for each class, and the program sponsored many activities (chocolate tasting, hiking, etc) around Florence/Tuscany that we could sign up for. It was great having no classes on Friday to let us travel on weekends, plus we had two four-day weekends and a week-long spring break in March. Florence is also just such a wonderful city - it's small, walkable, and friendly. It was a great place to call home these last 4 months.