Welcome to the
Studying abroad influences you in a multitude of ways—you build confidence and independence, explore a world beyond your comfort zone, and learn new things about yourself. Use the information on this page to give yourself a better idea of what life could be like for you or your future peers. As always, if you have any questions, give us a call!
Your Daily Life Abroad
Weekly Structure
Classes are typically held in the mornings, Monday through Friday (except in Jordan, where weekends are Fridays and Saturdays). In the afternoons, faculty/staff accompany you and your classmates on site visits and excursions around the city. During weekends, you can expect activities and excursions, and occasionally some regional travel.
Accommodating needs
We make every effort possible to offer accommodations comparable to what you might find at your home school. Disclosing early helps us to make proper preparations and work with you to determine if a program will be a good fit.
Experiencing a new culture
Going abroad means diving into a new culture. The streets are unfamiliar, the food is different, and the people you interact with might not speak English. But these are exactly the things the kinds of things that help you learn and grow as a person if you’re open and thoughtful to the experience.
Program Group
As a pre-college student, most of your days are spent alongside your program cohort. You live alongside your group (excluding programs with homestay options), attend classes and excursions together, and share many meals as one. It’s important to not only prepare for culture shock, but also the differing dynamics of your own program group. You may meet students of different upbringings, political views, etc.—but these intragroup dynamics can create long-lasting friendships and contribute to your own growth if you remain flexible and understanding.
Your Home Abroad
Housing looks different on every program but includes apartments, dormitories, sharehouses, and homestays. For non-homestay programs, you live in close proximity with your group and residential staff. For example, you share an apartment with peers and a residential staff member in Florence, but in Shanghai, you share a dormitory with one other classmate and on-site staff live on the same floor. For homestay programs, you live with a local family selected by CET and/or our on-site host institution. Regardless of your housing setup, on-site staff are always around to supervise, plan activities, and provide support whenever you may need it.
Meals
Your meals are included with your program fees, and are either directly paid for by on-site staff or by a meal stipend. Many of your meals are taken together as a group, but some will be had individually at home or in campus cafeterias (breakfasts) or in small groups within a designated perimeter. For homestay students, your breakfasts, dinners, and all weekend meals are taken with your host family—with the exception of scheduled meals with the program group. Your dietary restrictions and allergies are collected at the start of the term, and your group leader accommodates these needs in all group meals to the best of their ability.
Resources from Alumni
Perspective Pieces
These are alumni-written essays that reflect upon how their own identity affected their time abroad (both good and bad) and what it was like to navigate another culture in their position. We encourage you to read these to better understand what studying abroad could be like for you or your future peers.
Are you a Pre-College at CET alumnus? Consider telling us about your time abroad.
- Living and Studying in Havana, Cuba for a Month
by Angeles V. | Summer 2019
Pre-College at CET Cuba: Global Perspectives
Blog Posts
This is a curated list of blog posts chosen specifically to provide context for life abroad. Posts here may cover culture shock, diversity, daily life and workload, etc. To see all posts from pre-college students abroad, head to the Student Voices blog.
- The Process of Assimilating
By Megan | Summer 2019
Pre-College at CET Beijing: Global Perspectives
Alumni Insight
Sometimes it’s best to hear it from students who have been there. The following are a few select quotes from recent program evaluations, reviews, and blogs to help you understand different facets of the study abroad experience.
