Great! September 11, 2023

By (International Politics and Economics, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/28/2023 to 05/31/2023 with

CET Taiwan

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a lot of language skills, as well as cultural skills and competencies

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Lacked rigor but not intensity, ample resources

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Great

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Had a uniquely challenging housing experience, however CET was very gracious in its own handling of the situation and the support networks that they put in place.

* Food:

No meal plan but food is cheap and ample choices surround the campus and living places

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It is difficult but I feel like there were many oppurtunities

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no firsthand healthcare experiences, but from what I saw the experiences of my friends were better than the US

* Safety:

Extremely safe

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I loved my time in Taiwan.

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Not sure
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Watch spending on meals

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

No language pledge

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Chinese 301
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Study traditional characters

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Genuine Experience
* What could be improved?
  • Language Pledge
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Nothing really

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Advanced Low Chinese

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Yes it was a good mix of challenging and at time relaxed. My teacher was one of the best Chinese teachers that I have ever had. The assessments were fairly graded.
Credit Transfer Issues: No
Course Name/Rating:

Internship: Bridging Theory and Policy

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: It was not challenging or interesting. It was beneficial to receive an internship but the class lacked relevance and standardized or fair grading.
Credit Transfer Issues: No