2nd semester Junior year vs. 1st semester senior year or the summer

<p>I transferred schools after my freshman year, and while I'm academically glad I made the switch, this past sophomore year of mine has largely been miserable from a social happiness standpoint. For various reasons, I'm basically hell-bent on joining a fraternity next semester, even though I'll be a junior.</p>

<p>It's not the fact that I'm a junior that makes me worry about my chances as the fact that I'd be studying abroad the very next semester after I'd join the fraternity. So I'm thinking of postponing my study abroad until either my Fall semester senior year or the summer between my junior year and senior year.</p>

<p>I was just wondering if anyone else studied abroad at a later than usual time and if they had any positive/negative experiences from it. In all honesty, I can't think of any reasons WHY it's so important to study abroad you 2nd sem. junior year other than "everyone else does it".
I could easily take senior-level classes my second semester junior year, and just work on my thesis/grad school apps my last semester in college, right?</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice!</p>