Montreal: A Beautiful New World Right Next Door! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was fair and manageable and grading was similar to Champlain-Burlington, though assignments were fewer and counted for a higher percentage of our grade.

On-site administration of your program

The three individuals behind Champlain College-Montreal's administration are an all-star team of incredible people who can be directly credited with the success of the program. Each one is an expert in his or her specific position and deserve the utmost gratitude and respect for accomplishing so much for such a limited staff. Additionally, each one was always friendly and approachable, even outside of normal working hours.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The student apartments leased from UQAM by Champlain College-Montreal were quite minimalist, but perfectly suitable for student housing. While basic appliances (fridge, oven, microwave) and furniture (bed, wardrobe, desk) were provided, my roommates and I brought or collectively purchased additional items with which to outfit out apartment (floor lamp, dishes and utensils, coffee maker, linens, pots and pans, television). The location of the apartment was excellent, as it was within walking distance of grocery stores, a large park, Champlain College-Montreal's academic center (15 minutes), a metro station (<5 minutes) and Montreal's vibrant nightlife. The apartment building is in very close proximity to the wonderful Place-des-Arts and is situated in the heart of The Plateau, a borough of Montreal and one of the most clean and beautiful parts of the city.

Food was fairly expensive, but of good quality.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We took two very memorable weekend trips to Quebec City and Ottowa at various points in the semester. The two trips provide great comparisons to Montreal and show what other cities in Canada are like in regards to a higher French influence and a higher English influence, respectively. There were also several private visits to the offices of Montreal businesses specific to certain programs of study (ex. a video game design studio for Game Art & Animation majors, a marketing agency for Marketing majors, etc.) that were both interesting and thought-provoking. One of the highlights of my trip was obtaining a press pass for the 2011 edition of IF3 (International Freeski Film Festival). The Activities Coordinator knew I had a love of snowboarding and skiing, so he took it upon himself to apply for media passes to the monumental event. I had some close encounters with big names in the freeski scene, took some great pictures, and had an amazing time at some highly entertaining afterparties.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Montreal is one of the cleanest cities I have ever visited. Also, its metro system is incredibly clean, efficient, and safe. At no point in my trip did I ever feel unsafe while walking around the city, even by myself at night.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

My personal advice is to immerse oneself as much as possible in the language/culture. I chose to live with non-Champlain international students and had the great fortune of being place with two francophone students from different parts of France. Out of convenience, we ended up speaking English most of the time, but I would make attempts to learn/speak French with them. It was a similar situation at my for-credit internship, which was at a francophone marketing agency that dealt primarily with francophone clients. I did take an introductory French course while studying in Montreal, but I feel that I learned more at my apartment and at my internship than I did in the classroom.

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• Apartment

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• International Students

• Great faculty
• Location of apartments
• Absolutely amazing administration

• Greater course selection (when possible, based on enrollment)