Alumni Network: Study Abroad in London with Panrimo

Why choose Panrimo?

Dani:I chose Panrimo because of their excellent communication and customer service. I was very busy junior year with a heavy course load and a part time job but Panrimo made it extremely easy for me to study abroad. They always answered questions through email quickly and thoroughly. I never felt like I was dealing with a large company where I was only a number and a check and that made a huge difference in the 6 month long process! Panrimo understood what I wanted out of my experience abroad because they asked and cared then they catered my experience to those preferences and I had the trip of a lifetime.

How has this experience impacted your future?

Dani: This experience has impacted my future in so many ways. First of all I feel able to relate to many more topics in school and everyday life. For example, in my first semester back after London I needed to take a general education art class and on the first day my teacher talked about the Tate Modern and Banksy, the British graffiti artist. Without my trip to London I most likely wouldn't have known anything about either of those topics but instead I was excited to learn more. Personally, I learned a lot about how comfortable I am by myself. I’m definitely not a complete introvert but I learned how to enjoy some peace and quiet everyday even if I was in the middle of one of the biggest cities on Earth.

Highlights: The academic highlight of my trip was the quality of my professors. Both men were extremely qualified in their area of expertise and easy to talk to. Both of my professors understood that their students were only in London for a few weeks and they wanted us to get to most out of our trip. The classes weren’t about sitting in a classroom and cramming facts about London into your head; they were about discovering new places and forming opinions and then sharing them with your class and professor, whether that was through a presentation or a series of short essays depended on the class.

The social highlight of my trip was traveling all over England with my new friends from all over the United States. I met people from States that I almost forgot existed and where I couldn’t imagine living but we all had similar personalities and a love for traveling. It was great to be able to talk about the differences between growing up outside Washington DC with Chicago or Seattle and realize that even though we were all from different time zones in the US there were many ways we could relate and connect. I’ve been keeping in touch with my friend from London and I really hope to reunite with them all someday!

Morning: A typical day in London with University of Westminster’s summer program consisted of waking up around 8:30 AM to get ready, eating breakfast in kitchen sometimes with others staying in the dorm/hostel, taking the underground at 9:30 AM and arriving in Oxford Circus (one of the busiest places in London) for class. Class lasted until 1 PM and was only Monday through Thursday. My first session class was about the History of London through London’s museums so we met at a different location every morning. This really helped me understand the city and see many “off the map” places. My second session class, London: Culture Capital of the World met in University of Westminster’s main building on Regent Street every morning but had field trips every Wednesday.

Afternoon: After class in the first session I would usually explore whatever part of London we were in for class a little longer. My professor would often suggest places for our class to eat lunch or nearby sites to see before we left. A few of my classmates lived in my dorm so we would venture out together after class. In the second session I would often plan out my afternoon the night before and just get out of class and go. I knew how to navigate the city better and was more comfortable being by myself. Also, time was running out so I started checking sites and activities off my own “London Bucket List.”

Evening: Since I usually ate lunch out I tried to cook dinner at home. It was all pretty basic but it got the job done. Every Tuesday night the University of Westminster Social Programme had an event planned for us. Sometimes it was a walking tour, other times it was a West End show but regardless it was an easy way to meet new people and see different parts of London’s culture. Other nights I went to pubs and bars with friends from my dorm. London’s nightlife doesn’t last very long so if we didn’t go to club we were usually home before midnight. I think that aspect helps more than it hurts. Not staying out until 4AM on a Tuesday helped take advantage of the next day and see all that the city had to offer (although we did go to a few clubs and stay up that late on Thursdays since we didn’t have class Fridays). As cliché as it sounds, this kind of trip is really one of those “it’s what you make it” things. There were so many different types of people that it was easy to find people that had the same interests and mind sets.

This experience has impacted my future in so many ways. First of all I feel able to relate to many more topics in school and everyday life. For example, in my first semester back after London I needed to take a general education art class and on the first day my teacher talked about the Tate Modern and Banksy, the British graffiti artist. Without my trip to London I most likely wouldn't have known anything about either of those topics but instead I was excited to learn more. Personally, I learned a lot about how comfortable I am by myself. I’m definitely not a complete introvert but I learned how to enjoy some peace and quiet everyday even if I was in the middle of one of the biggest cities on Earth.

What are the core principles that Panrimo strives to achieve?

Tony: Intimate service, personal programming, guaranteed credit, small programs, and adventure! We truly want our students to go out and explore, and expect the unexpected. If a student chooses to go abroad through their own university or a typical third party provider, they're going to get what is promised. Panrimo takes it a step further: not only do we promise what you see on paper but so much more - Panrimo's overseas coordinators will invite students into their home for dinner, will bring them to operas, will introduce them to their local friends, will take them on boating trips down the Seine River. These are things you simply cannot do if you have 300 students abroad.

We want to know who you are. We provide interested students with an intimate, 10-question questionnaire that pulls at the heart of each Panroamer, which serves as a base for the beginning of the program customization process. Panrimo not only guarantees a personality in the advisor the student is assigned, but a truly personalized and personal experience overseas.

What separates Panrimo from other study abroad program providers?

Tony: I simply pose this question to every college student interested in studying abroad: do you want to be a number in a group or do you want your interests to be known, utilized, and brought to you in experiences overseas you cannot get anywhere else? If you study photography and are interested in studying in Florence, and you love basilicas, what would you do with two tickets for a Mozart tribute concert at the Via Morano basilica with your camera? If you're a journalist studying in Prague, what could you do with a 4 hour session with a Czech writer in a coffee shop? Where else will you find guaranteed unique experiences crafted with YOU in mind?

It is truly personalized experiences such as these that make Panrimo stand out as the optimal choice for the student interested in maximizing their growth during their time spent abroad.

A Panroamer - can you better define?

Tony: A dreamer of lemon gelato in Florence, a cyclist through the French Alps, decision maker of your own life experiences, truth seeker of temples and Buddha in Beijing, lover of a caring host family or wicked apt. in downtown Lyon, dancer of 2 a.m. tango, intern hopeful in business marketing in Czech Republic, seeker of adventurous excursions, pizza parlor paisano’s new friend in Sicily, or a friend of a friend wanting to study or intern abroad. Panroamers become part of an international club.

What does the future hold for Panrimo?

Tony: We are not going after 5000 students a year: not everyone can be a Panroamer, and we do not accept everybody. It takes a special type of particular person to be in our club. We simply hope to generate interest among students for our type of programs - the type that caters to their every intellectual desire and motivation for studying abroad. If a student attends a study abroad fair, returns to their dorm with 10 catalogs for study abroad, each with great photos and okay prices, and feels more and more keen to be in South America or Europe or Asia next semester, we want them to choose Panrimo, actually, ONLY choose Panrimo, because they have their own best interests in mind.

Where would you choose to study abroad again if you had the chance?

Tony: While I would love to return to Buenos Aires again for the 5th/6th/7th time, I think I would instead choose Lyon in France, largely because I have yet to go there. I will always favor traveling somewhere new solely for adventure's sake. That, and I hear the food is good.

Panrimo offers opportunities for personal growth through unparalleled experiences. With Panrimo Customized Study and Intern Abroad Programs, you’ll understand and love life overseas because you created the experience.