My name is Sarah Huang, and I spent my summer 2023 semester in Taipei, Taiwan participating in the CET Taiwan summer study abroad program. Students enroll in intensive Chinese language classes at the National Taiwan University (NTU), are offered optional internship opportunities, and immerse themselves in Taiwanese culture. To better the immersion, students live with a local Taiwanese roommate and can pair with a language partner. As a Taiwanese American, it was fulfilling to concentrate on improving my Chinese, visit family, and reconnect with my heritage.

Classes took place at the National Taiwan University Language Center. My class started from 8:20 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. Monday through Friday. The coursework was rigorous, zooming through nine units, multiple quizzes per week, four presentations by the end of the semester, unit tests, midterm, and final. By the end, my listening, reading, speaking, and writing in traditional Chinese had improved more drastically than taking a class within a semester with my other computer science coursework. While this language course does not relate to my computer science major, improving my Chinese is personally significant due to my heritage and could help my future job.

In my free time, I would join my roommates in trying new places for dinner, traveling, doing touristy activities, going to night markets, singing KTV, and even getting massages together. I have also experienced cultural activities such as tai chi, cooking zongzi (a sticky rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves), and playing traditional instruments like the erhu. My favorite adventure is the four-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday when my roommates and I traveled to Gaoxiong, Tainan, and Taizhong to see famous sites like the Dragon and Tiger Pagoda, Fo Guang Shan monastery, museums, and temples galore. I also enjoyed the familiar activities I would do in America and seeing differences, like attending anime conventions.

Even though doing another internship like my last summer would have been beneficial, studying abroad in Taiwan just before senior year was the best time for me to do it. The summer was the best time to improve my Chinese, and being surrounded by the language where I lived helped me immensely. I also came out of my spring semester burnt out and desperately wanting a chance to leave Tennessee to experience something new without the pressure of it having to benefit my career prospects. Living in Taiwan was like a breath of fresh air, a breakaway from the monotony. The time zone difference and the pressure of experiencing Taiwan because I paid for it did not leave me with time to code a personal project or attend to other obligations back in America. Even living near a Family Mart convenience store and riding the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) instilled this joy of discovery I have not felt in years. This study abroad program helped me remember that while productive activities that improve your job prospects are important, taking a long break to enjoy life and have fun is equally essential.

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