I can't say I've heard much of anything about Norway, have you travelled there before? (And how cold is it? ) And are there any problems with regard to the language barrier?

Well, my first semester finishes in late June and the semesters in Europe begin in early-mid September so I'll be taking about 1.5-2 months to travel across Europe before I actually begin studying at my chosen institution. It's really just a good way to save on airfares and accomodation. In the first month, I'll probably be travelling around France, Germany and Central Europe (I'm saving Italy for another trip). However I'll probably head out to Eastern Europe after that. Anywhere in particular that you think would be worthwhile checking out while I'm over there? I'm completely ignorant about Europe apart from what I've read on wikipedia and Lonely Planet.