How can one find an excellent Shannon code once it's proven that such code exists? Something we are trying to do in our Coding Theory & Cryptography class; apparently it's the subject of the contemporary research in coding theory!

When/where am I going to study abroad? I really want to, and I only have one more year where it'll be practically possible, so I'm currently frantically applying to different programs. I really want to study in a Francophone country, because I think after ten weeks speaking French with native speakers I could probably break that last wall of communication and become fluent.