CET Italy

CET Florence was an unforgettable experience! Before coming to the program, I was nervous about going abroad and meeting new people. Yet, when I arrived in Florence, all that anxiety melted when I met my roommates and had a weekend filled with group activities to meet people! CET did a great job getting people to meet and become friends quickly! Additionally, CET was extremely accommodating with housing! Whenever I had an issue with my housing, they were immediately attentive to the problem. I also was able to travel every weekend and CET helped me figure out which hostels were safe and gave recommendations for what to do and see. Their suggestions were super helpful since I never been to Italy!

I studied with the CET in Florence, Italy this summer (2023) and had an amazing experience. The CET staff were super helpful and kind, and did a great job making everyone feel safe and included. They also hosted several events throughout the program so we were able to experience as much of Florence as possible. Florence is a beautiful destination to study in full of art, history, and plenty of gorgeous views. Taking weekend trips was also super easy and the CET staff were more than happy to assist with travel plans and give recommendations.

My experience in Italy and Siena specifically was a remarkable one. I had the opportunity to explore different regions in Italy and learn more about the culture and art history of each location. The art was rich and beautiful, and as an art major, it is the most crucial aspect that helped to better my experience in Italy. In addition, the art history class I took while staying in Siena also enhanced my knowledge of Siena and its past particularly, as well as the region of Tuscany (Pienza, San Gimignano, and Monte Oliveto Maggiore).

I would highly recommend CET Florence. The program staff are very kind and take time to organize fun excursions for the students such as pizza making and gelato tours. The classes offered are interesting and engaging, and the city itself is beautiful. Although Florence isn’t a huge city, there is still so much to do. Keep in mind that since you won’t be attending an Italian University directly, it will take extra effort to interact with local Italians your age. There are also many American study abroad students in Florence which is something to take into consideration depending on your preference. Overall, I highly recommend the program and had an amazing semester with CET Florence.

The CET Program offered me a wonderful experience that was both academically and culturally stimulating. I was able to successfully continue my undergraduate academics while simultaneously absorbing Italian culture. The program offers various trips & excursions to help students meet their peers and immerse themselves in the Florentine environment. Not to mention, the staff is extremely supportive and helpful. I personally suffered an injury at the beginning of the program and was thoroughly supported by the CET staff throughout the entire semester. I am extremely appreciative of their willingness to care for their students.

I loved using Florence as my home base for my studying abroad experience! Classes were fair, and the professors were understanding. The city is fantastic, and there are many places to go out and eat or walk. Many courses also take you to museums so you can have on-location learning (which was my favorite part). There are a lot of study-abroad students who spend the semester in Florence, so it's easy to make friends and get away with speaking English. Finally, everyone in the program lives in apartments around the city center. Although the location of the apartments are great, not everyone gets the same quality.

My summer in Florence was one of the best experiences with CET. The 6 week program was the perfect amount of time to get to know Florence and the Italian culture. The classes were engaging and allowed students to see Florence in a new way, while being fair with the workload. The professors were also very knowledgable and passionate which made the classes so interesting. I met so many new friends through the activities that were organized by the activity leaders who were both young and became close friends with the students by then end! There was a wide variety of activities for everyone and was one of the best memories from the summer. The housing was great and you live among locals, although some apartments are farther from the school than others. Overall, I would highly reccomend this program to anyone who wants an amazing summer!

This program is great if you want to see a lot of Florence. The classes take you to so many locations--I really feel like I saw all of the important Florence sites and was able to learn a lot about them from my professors. The program also had a lot of included extra activities like gelato tasting, a cooking class, a soccer game, and a pool day at a Tuscan villa.

Florence is a really great city as a study abroad students. There are so many students from US schools and it is really fun to meet them all. Traveling from the train station is so easy, too--pretty quick train ride to Rome, Milan, Pisa, and a lot of other great places, and easy to get to the airport. The week long fall break is great for seeing a lot of Europe.