University

Concordia University: student life on campus

An insider’s guide to the best cheap lunch, place to study and more

The 411

Best place to live:
Luckily, Montreal is where it’s at when it comes to finding affordable apartments—if you start looking early
Best place for a nap:
One of the booths in the Webster Library (if you ever find one that isn’t already taken)
Best cheap lunch:
The People’s Potato or the Hive Café. They both serve home-style vegetarian and vegan food at super low prices.
Best hangover breakfast:
Joe’s Panini on Drummond Street. Plus, it’s open 24 hours, so it’s perfect for late-night drunk munchies, too.
Favourite campus food:
Garlic potatoes from Boustan. Hands-down.
Best bar for hanging out:
You can never go wrong with Moose Bawr. Split a few pitchers of their famous sangria and you’re off to the races.
Best place to study:
The Concordia Greenhouse
If I wrote the school motto:
“McGill rejects unite!”
Best campus freebie:
If you need to travel between the two campuses, the shuttle bus gets you where you need to go without paying a dime. All you need is your student ID.
Best campus event:
Stingers home games. Nothing makes you feel more like a real university student than brandishing swag, chugging a $3 beer and pretending you care about football.
If I could change one thing about the school:
The Hall Building bathrooms. ‘Nuff said.

PROFILE: Concordia University | Montreal, Que. | Founded 1974

So, you didn’t make it into McGill. Welcome to Concordia!

Just kidding. While we often crack jokes about being Montreal’s “other” university, Concordia is a great school. Studying here was actually my first choice, and if I somehow got an undergrad do-over, I wouldn’t change a thing.

From the modern Sir George Williams campus in downtown Montreal to the more classic Loyola campus nestled in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (only a 20-minute shuttle bus ride away), Concordia has a little something for everyone. Into trendy cafés? Fun bars? What about taking a stroll through a fine arts museum during an extra-long break between classes? All of that is possible at SGW. Interested in lots of green space, playing sports or maybe even getting into campus radio? Loyola features it all.

On top of those fun perks, Concordia is a great university to attend for those on a tight budget. Tuition is fairly reasonable, and the school houses several co-ops to provide textbooks, healthy food and strong coffee at low costs.

Plus, if Montreal’s painfully cold winters have you a little on the fence, the downtown campus buildings are (almost) all connected by an underground tunnel! So, no frostbite—I swear.

After Class
Whether you’re an aspiring athlete, journalist or politician, Concordia has a spot for you. The sheer volume of student groups, clubs and activities here will knock your socks off. Anime club? We’ve got it. Musical improv? You bet. Laptop orchestra? Duh.

Apart from the shockingly niche clubs, the school also has a ton of student associations. A student union, the CSU, represents undergraduate students and organizes a variety of fun events. Concordia also has numerous resources for students with disabilities, those who need financial aid, and students who need to see a doctor or speak with a therapist.

Local Vibe
Montreal is a crazy city, in the best possible way. There’s always something going down. Whether you’re checking out one of the many festivals, witnessing a protest or simply attending your classes, you’ll notice that Montreal is deeply diverse in every way. The city’s multiculturalism will only add to your learning experience at Concordia by introducing you to new cuisines, new art forms and new ways of life. Attending university here will broaden your horizons—no doubt about it.

More Info
If you’re looking to stay up to date with the latest news from in and around Concordia, the university’s student media will help you along the way. Both the Concordian (a weekly student newspaper), and the Link (a student-run monthly magazine) are available on campus and publish online. They’ll keep you hip and with it.

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