Concordia University in Montreal, ranked 21st university in Canada in 2021 (Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities), is divided into two campusThese include the Sir George Williams campus in the city center and the Loyola campus in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce district.
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences, which offers Bachelors in Social Sciences, is located on the downtown campus.
Enzo, a former Bachelor of Political Sciencetells us about her experience.
Profile
FIRST NAME : Enzo
NATIONALITY : French
NAME OF COURSE : Bachelor of Political Science (B.A)
UNIVERSITY NAME : Concordia University
HOME SCHOOL Lycée Jean-Pierre Vernant, Sèvres
TYPE OF BACCALAUREAT OBTAINED Baccalauréat général Littéraire with International Option
Study abroad
Why did you decide to study abroad after the baccalauréat?
Since I was in the British international section from junior high to high school, I wanted to pursue a bilingual and bicultural path after my baccalauréat.
I chose Canada because the agreements that exist between Quebec and France allow for a North American education at a lower cost.
I also really wanted to go on an adventure.
Crossing the Atlantic to live in Montreal at the age of eighteen was an enriching experience for me.
Why did you choose Concordia University?
Concordia University was my first choice.
It’s a big school, with almost 45,000 students. I was particularly interested in studying political science in North America and at Concordia University.
The way of teaching differs from one university to another, and Concordia’s was of particular interest to me, as was the quality of the teaching.
What were your other career options?
I had mainly chosen Canadian universities.
I was also interested in Dutch universities such as Leiden and Amsterdam.
The education is affordable, with tuition fees that are lower than for American, Canadian or English universities.
These universities are also closer to France.
However, I had more of an affinity with North American culture.
How did the admission and selection process work?
The documents required to apply are the Première and Terminale report cards as well as the baccalauréat results and the results of an English test.
I was admitted to Concordia University in January 2018.
What administrative steps have you taken to get ready for university?
You need a study permit to live and study in Montreal.
It’s quite a long administrative process.
I also had to look for accommodation.
I think it’s important to start early, as places in student residences fill up quickly.
1st year courses
Which Bachelor’s degree did you choose and what are its special features?
There are four academic pillars in the Bachelor in Political Science.
In the first year, we offer introductory courses in International Relations, Political Philosophy, Comparative Politics and Canadian Politics.
The latter focused more on Canadian political science and constitutional politics.
Unlike in France, the Bachelor in Political Science at Concordia University is multidisciplinary.
However, it does not offer law courses.
Students ⸱e⸱s must choose all their courses.
Some courses, such as “Geopolitics of China or ” European Governance and Politics “were particularly interesting.
These courses run over a semester and are independent of each other.
So you have to manage to build a fairly coherent course on your own.
There is also a platform called Rate my professors ” which allows students to⸱e⸱s to discover the teachers⸱e⸱s and make their choice based on the grading the teacher applies during exams, his or her teaching method and rapport with students⸱e⸱s.
This site is very useful and helps students a lot. ⸱e⸱s first year.
Did you find it difficult to adapt to the education system?
I didn’t find it difficult to adapt to the educational methods because I was in an international section in high school.
I had both British and American teachers.
The fact that I had exams and reports to produce in English throughout my schooling helped me considerably in my first years of my Bachelor’s degree.
I don’t think the methodology is particularly difficult to assimilate.
The teachers are good listeners and there are lots of resources to help you understand the methodology.
How many hours of lessons do you have a week? Do you have a lot of work to do?
In my first year, I had between twelve and fifteen hours of classes.
The rest of the time was mainly spent working independently.
We also had a lot of reading to do.
It’s a way of working that you have to be able to adapt to, because it’s mostly lecture-based.
Student life at Concordia University
What’s student life like on Concordia’s campus?
Montreal is a dynamic, young city.
It’s a great place to live as a student.
When the universities of McGill, Concordia and Université de Montréal are merged, the total student body is considerable.
So it’s important to get your bearings.
For example, I only arrived a few days before the start of classes and didn’t have the opportunity to take part in the general integration organized for students. ⸱e⸱s in the first year of their Bachelor’s program.
It’s an essential step in creating links and participating in student life at Concordia.
I then decided to join the political science students’ association, which brought together all the students of Concordia. ⸱e⸱s who were part of this major.
This enabled me to meet new people and better integrate into student life and daily life in Montreal.
In my opinion, the networks of associations and student residences are the two vectors that enable students to integrate into the community. ⸱e⸱s in Montreal.
What’s student life like?
The largest student association is the Concordia Student Union, with an annual budget of six million Canadian dollars!
The Union is managed by students ⸱e⸱s.
The association plays a major role in school policy and in decisions concerning tuition fees.
So it’s an important association to be part of.
Secondly, each Faculty, from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to the Faculty of Engineering, has its own student associations based on its own areas of study.
Here, community life is much more developed than in French universities, and numerous events are organized.
For example, when I was in the political science student⸱e⸱s association, I was able to help organize a conference in 2019 with the leader of the Canadian New Democratic Party.
These experiences are interesting for building your professional network.
How the student housing search works⸱e⸱s in their first year?
There are two university residences because there are two campuses, one located in downtown Montreal and one further out with sports facilities and gardens.
The downtown residence is a former convent called Grey Nuns Residence.
C’est un très beau lieu mais je n’ai malheureusement pas pu y résider car j’ai tardé à faire les démarches nécessaires pour le logement.
Un des conseils que je pourrai donc donner aux étudiant⸱e⸱s admis⸱e ⸱The best thing to do at Concordia is to get in early, as there are often waiting lists to get a place in this residence.
So I stayed in a student residence that didn’t depend on the university.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this option as the prices are a bit higher and there were a lot of French students⸱e⸱s.
However, this can have a reassuring side when arriving in Montreal for the first time to integrate more easily and feel at home.
Into the future
Do you have any recommendations or advice for students who want to get into Concordia?
Crossing the Atlantic and finding yourself alone⸱e in a big city at eighteen isn’t always easy, and I think it’s important to be accompanied⸱e and well supported.
There are a lot of networks of associations that are there to help students ⸱e⸱s.
Before arriving in Montreal, I had joined a number of student Facebook groups. ⸱e⸱s from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences who were in the same situation as me.
I think you shouldn’t hesitate to talk to students⸱e ⸱s who are at Concordia University on Linkedin, for example, to find out about their experiences and get advice.
Another piece of advice would be to make the most of the richness of community life, which is also a great way to meet lots of other students. ⸱e⸱s !
If, like Théo, you’d like to attend Concordia University or a university in university in Canadadon’t hesitate to >contact us at to discuss your plans!
Author
With a Bachelor's (LLB) from UCL and Assas, and the Grande Ecole program at HEC Paris, Adam has over 10 years of experience in education and student mentoring. Passionate about helping students achieve their academic dreams, he co-founded Your Dream School to guide students through university admissions and interview preparation for top global institutions.
