Panrimo Study Abroad Programs in Argentina
Study abroad with Panrimo today, and take the trip of a lifetime in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Panrimo's summer programs are done in conjunction with the University of Buenos Aires' Centro Universitario de Idiomas (CUI), and with the University of Belgrano for long term programs. Students are given many accommodation and course options, ensuring each individual has a study abroad experience crafted with them in mind.
Studying in Buenos Aires, the second largest city in all of South America, guarantees exposure to music, dance and entertainment respected across the globe. Use your developing Spanish language skills while you explore the local culture. Nicolas, Panrimo's Buenos Aires coordinator, will be there to help every step of the way, with an initial tour and orientation when you first arrive. Check out Panrimo's site for much more information!
Reviews
80%Overall
Rating
80%Overall
Rating
I stayed in an apartment in the downtown area with a host family, and that was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. The family was incredibly nice and did everything they could to make me comfortable. The food I got at my homestay (I signed up to receive breakfast and dinner Monday through Friday) was very, very good, and was a lot healthier than the average Argentine diet. When I was on my own for meals I never had a problem finding delicious food, and there were plenty of nearby grocery stores, cafes, and restaurants.
The four week intensive Spanish class that I took had about ten students, and as such I was unable to practice speaking as much as I had hoped (we focused mainly on grammar). That being said, I think the average class size is much smaller. At least the school was very close to my homestay!
Not being fluent in Spanish was the main barrier for me in terms of cultural integration, although my language skills did improve significantly while I was there. Other than that, by the time I left I definitely felt comfortable in the city, knew my way around, was familiar with the local customs, etc.
The Buenos Aires coordinator was very nice and helpful but sometimes it seemed like he had other stuff going on. This was never really an issue, and I certainly never felt ignored. Panrimo has optional trips to other parts of the country, but doesn't organize any meet-ups for the students in each city. As long as you're willing to make friends on your own and be independent, you'll be fine -- that's the kind of experience I was looking for, and it turned out great.
Like any big city, you do have to be careful in Buenos Aires. Theft is the biggest problem here, but as long as you're smart and sensible you should be fine. My laptop did get stolen (through no fault of Panirmo, of course), but it was really more of a financial inconvenience than a practical one. My host family graciously gave me an old desktop computer to use in my room, my internship provided me with a laptop to use while I was at work, and Panrimo's staff did everything they could to help out with the situation.
Alumni Interviews
Interview with Kyle Greenhaus, world famous Panroamer
GO: Why did you decide to study abroad with Panrimo in Buenos Aires, Argentina?
Kyle: Being that I have what could be considered an obsession with learning Spanish, I knew that I wanted to study abroad at some point during my college career. I have several friends that studied abroad in Buenos Aires and loved it, so after a bit of research, I settled on Argentina for its rich culture and beautiful dialect of Spanish. The only thing was that I wanted my experience to be a bit different than that of my friends.
Like most students who study abroad, they went through a large organization and therefore were part of a large group of other American students. Although it's nice to have the safety net of people who speak your own language, the language your in the country to learn simply does not improve as much.
I chose Panrimo due its size and customizable options. I wanted to go abroad on my terms and, being someone who always has a million questions, I didn't want to have to be put on hold or talk to a computer every time I called with a question. With Panrimo, Paul or Tony always picked up after two or three rings and were more than willing to talk as long as I wanted. They found me a great host family who I love, and my contact here in Buenos Aires is wonderful as well. Panrimo is an affordable option for someone looking to study abroad on their own terms, but needs a little help in figuring it all out.
GO: What made studying in Newcastle a unique and special experience?
Kyle: Without a doubt, the best part of my trip so far has been the experience that I had volunteering in an organization called Un Techo Para Mi Pais (A Roof for my Country). It is a gigantic non-profit organization in Argentina that is made up of and led by young people with the goal of tackling the issue of widespread poverty in the country.
We went to a neighborhood in the providence of Buenos Aires where the majority of the inhabitants live in conditions of extreme poverty, and my group of 10 kids built a house for a family in three days. It was an incredible experience and I learned not only a ton of Spanish, but made amazing friends, and learned a lot about life and the spirit of the people living in these precarious conditions.
GO: How has this experience impacted your future?
Kyle: I've just recently begun looking into opportunites for work on an organic farm in the mountains of Patagonia. It's been great living in the city, but being somewhat of a country boy, it's time I return to my roots and experience life in "el campo" of Argentina.
I'm staying until December, so I'm about making Novemeber a month for traveling. I figure since I have the freedom to do so, why not take advantage of it. I would like to travel south to see the mountains in Patagonia as well as north to Iguazu, one of the most beautiful and well known waterfalls in the world.
Further Info
About Panrimo
Panrimo is a company born of a friendship established between co-founders Paul and Tony while studying at Western Michigan University. Because of their mutual interests in travel, seeing new places, and the desire to avoid a monotonous college life, Paul and Tony put their heads together to come up with "Panrimo." Described as "an odd name for a serious decision," it salutes both Pangea (yes, the super connected super continent!) and the Latin word for explore, "rimo," thus denoting their underlying message- travel better, in a world that's connected better.
Panroamer alumni are guaranteed lifetime admittance into the Panrimo Travel Club - this includes access to free airport pick up in Panrimo's host countries, access to Panrimo coordinators in partner cities, letters of recommendation from the founders, visa and passport assistance, international travel advice, and access to Panrimo's excursions and cultural immersion activities - for life!
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From the beginning, I was very impressed with Panrimo's attentive staff, as well as with its professional website and catalogue. I really felt like they wanted me to have the best experience possible, and that they make a significant effort to personalize my program according to what I was looking for.
The orientation materials provided by Panrimo were a very helpful introduction to the city, and the support they gave me after I got there was much appreciated as well (I received a one-on-one city tour a few days after I arrived).
Panrimo found me an excellent internship with a local NGO that was a perfect match for my academic interests. Furthermore, my home-stay family was incredibly nice and accommodating and did everything possible to ensure I was comfortable and had a wonderful summer. Now that I'm back in the US, I really miss the home-made dinners and chatting with my host parents every night.
Critical Feedback:
Panrimo is a fantastic program if you want a truly independent experience abroad. They do prepare you before you leave, and are certainly available if you need anything during your stay. However, they do not organize meet-ups in the cities and more or less leave you to do your own thing (optional excursions are offered, but I did not sign up for these). Panrimo is a great program for those who are okay with putting themselves out there to meet people and finding their own way around.