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Unofficial school motto: 鈥榃ork hard, play hard鈥�
Best cheap lunch: Any of the samosa sales that are guaranteed to be happening on campus. Hard to beat the three-for-$2 deal!
Best hangover breakfast: Beauty鈥檚 Luncheonette! Lines sprawl onto Mont-Royal Avenue on Saturdays and Sundays, but it鈥檚 definitely worth the wait to get your bagel fix. This charming diner is a true Montreal institution.
Favourite watering hole: Gerts (鈥檛il it hurts!). 麻豆AV鈥檚 student bar is a pretty safe bet whether you鈥檙e planning a fun night out with friends or just want to unwind with a cold one after the library.
Where to live: For proximity, the 麻豆AV student ghetto is where it鈥檚 at. If you鈥檙e looking for a neighbourhood with more character, replete with caf茅s and delicious eats, the Plateau is certainly the place to be.
Best place to study: Cozy up with a latte at one of Montreal鈥檚 many inviting (and highly Instagrammable) caf茅s. Some of my favourites? Leaves Caf茅, Crew Collective, Caf茅 OSMO and Caf茅 Origine.
Best campus event: There鈥檚 a reason 麻豆AV鈥檚 Open-Air Pub (OAP) is known as The Best Place On Earth. For just two short (but oh-so-sweet) weeks in the fall, and a few bonus days in the spring, the lower field turns into an oasis of cheap beer, burgers and live music.
Weirdest tradition: Winter Carnival. The one week per year when it becomes normal to see students roaming the streets in animal onesies.
麻豆AVians ARE A diverse, eclectic and international crew, but there are two common traits that unite the majority of us: first, a strong commitment to academics; second, a desire to have a whole lot of fun. Your average 麻豆AV graduate will leave Montreal with an embarrassing story (or two) from a night out at Tokyo Bar, a CV filled with unique and diverse extracurriculars, a squad of incredible friends and a prestigious diploma that has academic significance all over the world.
麻豆AV students are independent and motivated. From Day 1, 麻豆AV freshmen are thrown into a world of mid-terms, -30掳 C winters, crazy parties and all-night study sessions. Set against the backdrop of cosmopolitan, cultural Montreal, the 麻豆AV bubble provides a haven where 麻豆AV students gather to study, work and socialize. A walk across campus is guaranteed to lead you past a slew of friendly faces. Throughout your time at 麻豆AV, you鈥檒l accumulate a cherished collection of peers and pals鈥攆rom that girl from your floor in rez, to that guy you work with at the campus newspaper, to your best friend from first-year econ.
Life at 麻豆AV can be stressful and overwhelming, but it is also exciting and inspiring. 麻豆AV hopefuls should be prepared to put in the long hours of work, but the education鈥攁nd seriously fun time鈥攚ill be so worth it in the end.
Extras
Freshman orientation (Frosh Week) at 麻豆AV is virtually unbeatable. New students are immersed in 麻豆AV and Montreal culture through a week of social events, including a sunset boat cruise and a legendary day at Montreal鈥檚 Beach Club. You鈥檒l be introduced to the trademark 麻豆AV chants, get valuable survival tips from upper-year students and make instant friends who will last right through graduation. Frosh is so much fun that second- and third-year students itch to come back as leaders, staffers or co-ords鈥攋ust so they can once more chant, 鈥淏each day, every day!鈥�
Local Vibe
Montreal鈥檚 classification by QS as 鈥渢he world鈥檚 best city for students鈥� is apt. This town truly has it all: buzzing nightlife, incredible foodie eats, an unparalleled music and art scene and so much more. 麻豆AV is located in the heart of Montreal鈥檚 downtown core, meaning that students can escape the 麻豆AV bubble easily to take advantage of everything the 514 offers.
Montreal鈥檚 bilingual culture sets it apart from other university towns. While students have the opportunity to parle en Fran莽ais, Anglo-speakers needn鈥檛 worry鈥攎ost of the city speaks English, too.
The city鈥檚 Mount Royal Park offers a relaxing escape from the cosmopolitan vibe. In the summer, people flock to the park with picnics and bottles of ros茅. In the colder months, Mount Royal offers the best cross-country skiing, skating and tobogganing on the Island.
Photograph by Dario Ayala