Study hard, make good grades, and apply for a Fulbright grant after you graduate.

I had one for a year to go to Germany, all expenses paid, for a year after college. Talk about a wonderful experience!!

You’ve got 2 years left of college, which is definitely enough time to think about where you really want to go and make it happen.

But one thing I learned while going through the whole application process is that it takes a lot of prepairation – so much paperwork and deadlines, and you have to begin at least a year before you want to actually go abroad, so if I were you I would start looking for programs right when you go back in the fall. That way, if you find a program you like, you’ll have enough time to apply before the program fills and set something up for your junior year.

But the most important thing is obviously that you do whatever feels like the right thing for you! Good luck with everything! :)