text: where should i study abroad? i am a senior in high school so naturally questions about colleges and the experience are flooding my mind. the main thing i want is just to have a real non-american cultural experience. study abroad programs are beginning to sound pretty good right now. i know that this aspect of the program is probably a good thing but there are way too many choices. i don't even know where to begin. i can't even narrow my choices down to a single continent (not n. america). some of the ones i've thought about are london, tokyo, madrid, paris, rio (baile funk), and dominican rep.( my fam is from there, but do they even have a program?) film, music, int. business are among the majors and careers i am interested in. does anybody have any advice and suggestions for where i should consider going? personal experience? usually studying abroad requires being a part of an american university for at least a year before you are accepted into the sa program. often, after taking a few classes and learning a little about what programs are offered through your particular school, you'll have a more clear idea. you will probably also be required to take at least one/two semesters of whatever language your instruction will be in while in the foreign country, so that's something to consider. look at your local colleges; many have programs that are connected. bretheran colleges have a program that connects 6 colleges across the us and offer study abroad programs in over 11 countries. many lutheran colleges have similar programs. cal state schools find it harder to get funding than private universities, so you might consider that as well. my last recommendation is to visit your local community colleges and see if they have a bulletin board or some sort of advertising space that may offer short-term study abroad options. if you like the program enough in a short amount of time and make friends/connections wherever you study, you might find it easier to find further opportunities there.   i have lived in germany, greece, england, and south america with different study abroad programs my whole life. each culture is different, interesting, and wonderful and you'll enjoy wherever you go, as long as you have a healthy frame of mind before you leave!