"[My Italian roommates] did everything you would expect—introduced us to their friends, showed us their favorite restaurants, and kept us from making absolute fools of ourselves—but they did much, much more. [They] challenged me to consider my culture in relation to theirs on a daily basis. Instead of settling for a surface level friendship, my incredible roommate really wanted to know what I thought about the world—her culture and mine.

"To say the least, I was astonished at how much my language level had improved. I could now converse in Chinese with random strangers, watch soap operas on TV, surf the Chinese web, read the Chinese newspaper, and even successfully bargain for cheaper shoes at the market—all of which were skills I could not perform when I first arrived in China."

"Academically, CET surpassed my highest expectations. It was my goal to leave Prague with a film I could be proud of. I did just that, and I owe it all to my professors' wise advice and constructive criticism. "

"I learned how to put myself as a part of the larger world, learning from and communicating with other cultures and people from around the globe. I return to America sad to say goodbye to Jordan, but knowing I carry it and it’s people with me forever, and that I will undoubtedly be back."

"My classmates and our Italian roommates baked cookies, shared wine, took to the streets at night with the rest of the Sienese, and talked in the city square until dawn."

"I have a better understanding of myself, my passions, and my goals for a career past graduating from college. CET was instrumental in guiding me towards, and helping me understand, the importance of personal experience and growth."

"I learned a lot about how possible it is to live comfortably in a city where you are not fluent in the language, and even over the course of the semester built up the courage to do some traveling on my own--something I would not have even considered before my time here. It's been a really great way to get out of my comfort zone and gain an appreciation for travel and cultural education."

"I think the most important outcomes of my term were new relationships and a new perspective on the world. I really am going home thinking about so many things differently—race, inequality, international economics and politics, friendship, and more."

"However what really makes the housing experience is how me and [my American and Japanese roommates] bond over our shared space and especially food. We frequently cook meals for each other and eat together, and more nights than not you will find us sitting around our dining room table, gossiping, snacking, studying, listening to music, or any combination of the above.