Afroza Khanam Chowdhury

Supportive peers and a vibrant city setting make all the difference

Beyond the classroom, Afroza’s classmates work together and make the most of what Montreal has to offer

Why did you pick Montreal for university?

I’m interested in aerospace engineering and Montreal is the third-largest aerospace cluster in the world. I thought it would be exciting to match my career passions with the city.

Montreal is officially one of the best student cities in the world. What’s your experience been like?

For the quality of education I'm getting, and the number of opportunities I'm getting, versus the startup cost, it's a lot cheaper than other Canadian cities. For any student, that's a bonus.

How would you describe the vibe on campus?

You’re right in the middle of downtown and there's a lot going on. It's fast-paced so you've got to make time to get involved and take advantage. But not to the point where you're exhausted and you don't have energy for anything else.

Concordia doesn’t look like a traditional university campus, right off the bat, except Loyola, which looks like Hogwarts! I had a few classes at Loyola in my first year. Go to Loyola too to see what the University has to offer beyond the downtown life.

What about the people?

Concordia is known for its spirit of collaboration. My peers go out of their way to be helpful. I ask them a question and it leads to discussion — and friendship. It's an open and welcoming atmosphere.

There are so many student associations, and people are really involved in the community here. You don't want to come into a new place and be like, oh I don't know anybody, I don't know where to go, so that’s really helpful.

You’re doing a series of paid internships and you’ve gotten involved with student associations, all while maintaining incredible marks. How do you do it?

I have no idea, to be honest! I personally believe rote memorization doesn't work. Especially at the university level. What's important is simply going to class and absorbing what the professor says — then half of your learning is done.