Alumni Review

I had a lot of fun during my time in Shanghai! I loved that this program had an internship because it gave me experience working internationally. I was able to work at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, working their social media accounts, which was really amazing. Going to the events and concerts was also a huge plus. CET Shanghai offers a lot of different companies and organizations to be a part of which I greatly appreciated. The weekend trips to a rural monastery plus Moganshan were great to bond with everyone and get out of the Shanghai bubble. I'd say that the faculty, especially Nova (gotta give a shoutout to her) went above and beyond for us. They helped us with the resident permit and all the necessary paperwork, as well as any other questions we may have had for them.
My classes were all really interesting and not too time-consuming (which is good because of the internship). My Chinese teacher was so nice and patient! I definitely improved over the weeks. My other classes (in English) were once a week which I wasn't used to but not complaining about. My teachers for those classes were very knowledgeable and I enjoyed the field trips that they took us on.
I think my semester got really lucky with the group of Chinese roommates. We all got along and it was so much fun to hang out with them. I still keep in touch with most of them to this day! Their English got so much better as the semester progressed.
As a gay woman, I was nervous going into the program. I knew Shanghai was better about LGBTQ+ people more than other provinces/cities in China, but I didn't know if I would get judgemental looks or something from people there. I was pleasantly surprised that I had nothing to worry about when I was there. Obviously, China isn't as open about the topic, but I think the Chinese students are curious about it if you give them a chance to talk about it.
I learned that the Chinese roommates are a lot more attentive to what goes on around the world, considering the censorship. It was cool to learn more about their culture and some sensitive topics and seeing how the roommates would react if we interviewed them about it.
Overall, I loved the program! I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to study abroad. Shanghai is a great place to explore, and if you're thinking of taking on a job in Shanghai what better way than to have an internship to see if it's right for you!