Has anyone studied abroad?

If so, where did you go and how did you choose among all the places your school offered? Also, how was your experience, if you would would you do it again? And how is your outlook on life different when you first went?

Basically, I'm really trying to find out if the whole program is really worth it for me. It'll be the first real thing I do, if I decide to do it. I've never left the comforts of home, always been sheltered, I have traveled but with my parents...this is just a whole new scene.

I'm in the process of applying right now for study abroad. I can't choose between the UK (university of wales), France, Denmark, or Sweden. If I take France I have to study two semesters of French since I already have four. And for the other countries I don't have too... so which do I choose? =[ Help!

P.S

I've done my research but still cant decide.

It all depends on what you want to major in and which offers the best programs for you to follow through with it.

My cousin studied abroad, but she mainly went for the experience, and the classes didn't count towards her major. They counted as general education classes though, she received credit for them.

She studied in Italy at Lorenzo de' Medici and had the opportunity to travel SO much in her days off from school. I visited her for a month, and it was the greatest time ever... it was hard to imagine she was in school. She had classes like Italian Culture, Italian Wine tasting, etc.

We travelled every weekend.. we even went to Ireland for the one weekend.

I don't know, to me studying abroad should be about the academics to a point, but it should also be a once in a lifetime experience where you see as much of the world as possible. My cousin did it right... she took general classes that counted and did well in them... but they didn't require a tremendous amount of work. That's obviously just my opinion though.

bella gave some great advice!

also you know there is no university of wales right? there's like several different ones.

i'd just be concerned about speaking the language of the country? wales is pretty welsh in parts but the majority of teaching will probably be in english. but sweden, france and denmark will all be different languages (obviously lol) and you have to take that into account. i'm not saying don't do it at all or come to wales, just drawing your attention to language maybe being a problem. but if you're like multilinguistic or doing a language degree just ignore me...

i think it's a fantastic idea, i really do. learning abroad can only change you in a positive way just ask rosie once she has been to Italy! hehe

ohh there is no university of wales? LOL how funny. I'm reading the list the school provided me and it was on there. But yes, I'm thinking about going to places that speak English. I mean i could go to France since I speak it, but would much rather experience something else. As for the academics, I'll be taking serious classes even tho it will be hard to know I'm in a different country. =[

haha, interesting thread for me, since i'm leaving in about 2 months!

I want to hear more experiences!

Bella, that sounds wonderful, I hope my time there is like that, although I'm only taking language classes

lol my mistake, there is a university of wales but it's split up into institutions. i did not know that, i thought they were all seperate universities in their own right! ah well. the locations, if you're interested, are

swansea

bangor

aberystwyth

lampeter

glynwr

newport

and then there's cardiff university which apparently is no longer part of the university of wales. it's massive for medicine is cardiff.