Study Abroad...somewhere?

<p>I'm hoping to study abroad next spring (2011). I've known I wanted to for awhile but I just started looking into the details of it. I'm not sure where I want to go. I'd prefer going somewhere where majority the natives speak in english. I've kinda been looking into Australia or the UK, but I'm open to any ideas. </p>

<p>I just wanted some opinions on universities or tips for helping to pick the right one.</p>

<p>Some details:
I'm in AeroEngineering. I don't want to attend a very small school (by this I mean less then 10000). Although I'm in engineering, I want to go abroad for the experience. I don't plan to have a heavy workload because I want to experience the culture and have fun more than focus on schoolwork, although I school work is important.</p>

<p>Thanks for any opinions or tips!</p>

<p>What do you mean by “spring”? It is late to be considering it for the next school term starting in January or February.</p>

<p>I would start with your college’s study abroad office. It is FAR easier to study abroad through programs they sponsor or partner programs that they work with than on your own (trust me… my daughter is just finishing up a semester where she direct enrolled in a foreign university and it was A TON of work and logistical headaches).</p>

<p>Also… for an engineering student, it can be a signficant problem to graduate on time, especially if you don’t keep up with the required coursework while abroad. Think really hard if you want to incur an extra semester of time and expense to graduate so you can have a fun cultural experience. It would not be a very smart decision if you are taking out loans for your education, for example. Fun, but not worth it in the long run.</p>

<p>One thing to consider is maybe going for a summer (weather is better in the UK then anyway!). Or if your school has a January term, look at that.</p>