Great Program

I initially selected to go to China through CET because a former student at my college had studied abroad with their program, and upon her return, her language skills were significantly improved. Additionally, both I and my parents felt it safer to go through a program rather than directly applying to a college in China, especially because at the time my language skills were at a low-intermediate level and I was concerned about whether I would be able to get by on my own in Beijing.

In terms academic rigor, the program definitely didn't disappoint. The classes were very small (about 8 people in each main class and 4 in drill groups), and the teachers were incredibly experienced. Both the main grammar classes and the drill classes were extremely helpful and structured well. The one-on-one lessons that were offered were particularly great –– not only was I able to increase my fluency significantly and get help with individual issues, but also develop a rapport with my teachers.

The campus was very safe, but also very small especially in comparison with the other CET campus in Beijing. There were about 40 CET students and equally as many Chinese roommates. At times this could feel almost constraining, but in general there really was a great sense of community. I came out of this experience knowing all of the people in my program very well. Everyone was incredibly nice and there were plenty of activities for students to branch out beyond campus, and the staff was incredibly helpful in this regard.

The best part of the program for me though, was getting to live with a Chinese roommate. She was such an amazing person, and we became really great friends during my stay in China. We still keep in touch.