EMLYON Business School
  
Grenoble EM
  
ESADE Business School
  
Rouen BS
  
ESSCA
Studies > Canada > Montreal > HEC Montreal > Review by Anna
 
Other names:
Écoles de Hautes Études Commerciales de Montréa
Contact: +1 514 340 6000
Accreditations and rankings:
EQUIS

HEC Montreal (HEC)

HEC Montreal, 3000, chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC H3T 2A7, Canada
4.27 / 5 based on 378 reviews.
Description:
Founded in 1907 under the leadership of the Montreal Chamber of Commerce, the École des Hautes Études Commerciales now enjoys a worldwide reputation for excellence based on the quality of its faculty members and its close links with the business world from which it emerged. The history of the École des Hautes Études Commerciales is entwined with that of Quebec and Canada. It is marked by solid contributions to the development of the nation's economy and the teaching of business.


Reviews
International Partners
Programmes
Accreditations
93% of students recommend
378 reviews
Housing
4.3/5
 All experiences (378)
Student life
4.7/5
 5 stars (198)
Academic
4.2/5
 4 stars (162)
Languages
4.4/5
 3 stars (18)
Expenses
3.7/5
 2 stars (0)
Overall
4.6/5
 1 star (0)
“Other exchange students are a great social network, if you don't want to be left out, register on facebook and be available on msn (I refused the latter, I only had Skype. I did ok, but really, everyone has msn, so if you want to stay in touch, you may not have a choice).” Read Review
amikaro, Switzerland

HEC Montreal review by Anna

Review by Anna, Universität St. Gallen, Sankt Gallen, Switzerland
Law, University Agreement
HOUSING    
Personal assessment
Cost
KEY:
Couldn't have asked for more.
Pretty good.
Could've been better, but didn't lessen the overall experience.
Disappointing.
Facilities
Location
Cleanliness
Space
Type of housing: A room exchange
Arranged by: Independently - My choice
If returning, I would choose: A room exchange
Why? Montréal has lots of students going abroad, so you can get good deals on their rooms while they're gone (through e.g. craigslist)
Personal comments:
The university tries to convince you that you're better off getting your housing through them, but you usually end up paying more (except maybe in the dorms) than if you had looked yourself.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
Was this review useful?   Yes · No

STUDENT LIFE    
Personal social experience
Activities
KEY:
Amazing! Hardly had time to study.
Plenty to do when I had the time.
So-so.
Did not get involved.
Nightlife
Travel
Overall
Describe host city: Students equally interact with the local and student community
Activities: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Travel: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Nightlife: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal comments:
For Poutine: La Banquise, for awesome and cheap Sushi: Sago Sushi on St. Denis, for chocolate fondue: Juliette et Chocolat, for clubbing: anywhere on St. Laurent, if you like more alternative places: Foufounes éléctriques on Ste. Catherine and many more...
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
Was this review useful?   Yes · No

ACADEMIC       2.0 / 5
My academic experiences
Quality of courses
KEY:
Fantastic.
Pretty good.
Could've been a bit better.
Disappointing.
Variety of courses
Availability/access to resources
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with other international students
Interaction with local students
Course recommendations:
Sign up for more courses than you need at first, you are allowed to drop courses without consequences until one week after the beginning of the semester. On Master's level, don't take more than three courses, it's a lot of work!



My opinion of the university assessment
Exams at end of course
KEY:
Liked it.
It was alright.
A bit annoying.
Didn't like it.
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course.
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
Overall
Personal comments:
The differences between the different courses are glaring, I had my best grade in a course which I really liked and where I didn't have to work much and had my worst grade in a class where I really worked my butt off. Oh, and don't make the same mistake I did: don't choose classes on Friday, you might miss out on some trips organized by the exchange organisation and by individual students.

This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
Was this review useful?   Yes · No

Language difficulties
Social
KEY:
No problems.
I coped pretty well.
Sometimes it was difficult.
It was a constant struggle.
Educational
Administrative / Institutional
Overall
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French
How much did you improve your French?
My level before: At ease in most situations
My level after: At ease in most situations
Personal comments:
I wanted to improve my French a bit, mainly learn some business/academic vocabulary, at which I succeeded. Other than that I didn't improve much, since I usually spoke English with most people, especially my roommate. Also, Québécois French is pretty weird, so if you do not want to be made fun of in France, better not adapt the Québécois French too much;-).
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
Was this review useful?   Yes · No

EXPENSES    
The accessibility of student needs
Second-hand text books
KEY:
Very easy.
Minimal effort.
Accessible but required effort.
Almost impossible.
Second-hand household items
Computers / Internet
Administrative
Money from home
Main source of funding:
Personal savings
Other sources of funding:
Government assistance
Work opportunities:
It was not legal for me to work
Personal spending habits:
My perception was that I spent roughly the same there as back home, but logically that can't be right since paying Swiss prices would probably be unaffordable for Canadians...it is weird though, the specific stuff that's more expensive in Canada than back home, e.g. Milk or Tomatoes. And of course liquor and cigarettes!
Travel, Nightlife, Overall, Telephone, Housing: was the same price as at home.
Food: was less expensive than at home.
Personal comments:
Bank transfers are way too expensive, so your best bet is to use your bank debit card from home and withdraw cash at one of the main banks' ATMs (Banque Nationale, etc., for example at HEC's main building). Withdraw large amounts at once, so you don't have to pay the fixed fee your bank charges you at every withdrawal too often. But be aware that you only get 20-dollar bills, so you might be walking around with a pretty thick wallet.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
Was this review useful?   Yes · No

OVERALL    
Important to choosing this university...
Academic reasons
KEY:
Very Important.
Important.
Not really important.
Unimportant.
Culture
Costs
Activities
Campus life
Party / people
Weather / Location
I wish I had known...
Even if you don't mind the cold, the city is kind of depressing in winter. If you have the choice, try to be there in summer or at least in the fall instead of the dead of winter!
In my opinion:
Most people loved it.



During my experience abroad, I ...
Became familiar with another culture
KEY:
Happened all the time.
Happened quite a lot.
Happened a bit.
Didn't happen.
Traveled
Improved language skills
Met people from other countries
Became more independent
Partied a lot
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies/career
Personal recommendation:
Choose your classes carefully (especially with regard to the work load) and try to travel and also explore Montréal as much as possible! The 5 months went by so fast that I now regret not doing more.



FINAL COMMENTS

Other exchange students are a great social network, if you don't want to be left out, register on facebook and be available on msn (I refused the latter, I only had Skype. I did ok, but really, everyone has msn, so if you want to stay in touch, you may not have a choice).
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
Was this review useful?   Yes · No


Back to HEC Montreal