CET Taiwan Study Abroad Review

Taiwan is an amazing place to study abroad in. In terms of academics, while I did not get into the Chinese level that I had originally wanted to (it is hard to switch because of the limit of 8 people), I still had a rewarding and academically challenging learning experience. There is no room for slacking off with these classes which is exactly the learning environment I needed. Outside of classes at NTU, there are so many opportunities to learn the language and experience the culture. There is a lot of English in Taiwan! Which is great for the cultural shock but also means I had to be more intentional about stepping outside my comfort zone. For instance, not always asking for the English menu, reading the Chinese directions/signs, ordering in Chinese, etc. The locals here are super friendly as well and provide so many opportunities for practicing Chinese. It is a common occurrence to have conversations with workers at stores or just random curious locals. I also loved that this program paired you up with a language partner as well because it helped my listening and "on the spot" speaking/conversational skills. I loved my language partner! (My first language partner did ghost me...but the staff found a new one which shows how valuable those pair-ups are!). My local roommates were also such a great way to immerse myself in the language and culture.

Studying abroad in Taiwan is also so ideal because of how easy it is to get around with the MRT, local trains, buses, or even HSR (but these are for places farther away). Not only is commuting easy but traveling and exploring is made much easier. Additionally, eating in Taiwan (and most things) is super affordable and accessible (7-11s/family marts, night markets). One thing that surprised me as a vegetarian was how many vegetarian restaurants. There usually are not a TON of veggie options at regular restaurants but eating was never a problem for me here.

In terms of the program itself, the CET staff were super helpful and supportive. There was some miscommunication between the CET staff and me and my roommates regarding some housing/apartment stuff but overall, I was super happy with the staff and support available during this experience. They played a big role in the time I had here.

I could keep raving about Taiwan, but the last thing I wanted to say was that I wish this program was longer because time goes by so fast. Particularly when you factor in the academics to it as well with 3 3-hour class every day. To me, there isn't a lot of time to "settle in" once you get to Taipei or enjoy your last moments in Taipei before leaving. Many of my friends and I especially felt that we would've liked more time at the end of the program because the move-out was the day after the last class. I actually did end up staying longer in Taipei after the program was over for about three more weeks. I think that if I hadn't stayed longer, I would not have felt as satisfied with my time here as I do now (really comes down to the length of the program).