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British Columbia.
The honest guide.

Eleven universities, nine cities, one very wet coast. Here is what each place is really like, and what nobody tells you before you pick.

11Universities
9Cities
7Desi spots listed
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Why British Columbia

Mountains, ocean and a lot to do.

Nobody comes to BC to stay indoors. Here is what you can do on a free weekend, and most of it is only a few hours from Vancouver.

Downtown Vancouver and the harbour at sunset
Vancouver

The city itself

Seawall walks, Granville Island, Gastown and the beaches in summer. Mountains you can see from the bus, and a ski hill about an hour away.

DowntownBeachesMountains
The seawall path along the beach in Stanley Park
Free · Vancouver

Stanley Park

A huge forest park on the edge of downtown, with a seawall of about 9 km that you can walk, run or cycle.

WalkCycleBeaches
Snow-capped mountains and ski resort in Whistler
Winter and summer

Whistler

Skiing and snowboarding in winter, bike park and hiking in summer. About two hours north of Vancouver by road.

SkiBike parkHiking
An orca whale jumping out of the water
Spring to autumn

Whale watching

Orcas, humpbacks and more are seen off the BC coast. Tours leave from Vancouver, Victoria and other coastal towns.

OrcasHumpbacksBoat tours
Dawn at Harrison Hot Springs with the lake and mountains
Day trip

Harrison Hot Springs

A lake village with hot springs, about 1.5 to 2 hours east of Vancouver. Good for a slow weekend.

Hot springsLakeMountains
Yellow tulip field with snow-capped mountains in the distance
Spring

Tulips and snow-capped peaks

In spring the tulip fields in the valleys east of Vancouver bloom with mountains behind them. Cherry blossoms line Vancouver streets around the same time.

TulipsCherry blossomsSpring

Times are approximate and depend on traffic and season. Check each place before you go.

Vancouver

The city, downtown and the water.

Most of our students start here. Skyscrapers, seawall and snow-capped mountains in one view. Tap a photo to see it bigger.

DowntownOffices, shops and Granville Street, with SkyTrain right under it.
GastownThe oldest part of the city: cobblestones, cafes and the steam clock.
Granville IslandA public market, studios and the waterfront on False Creek.
KitsilanoBeach, cafes and a young crowd on the west side.
Stanley ParkA forest park with a seawall around the edge of downtown.
YaletownOld warehouses turned into restaurants, close to the water.
Aerial view of downtown Vancouver at sunset with mountains behind
Downtown and the North Shore mountains
Aerial view of downtown Vancouver skyline with Canada Place and mountains
Canada Place and the skyline
Aerial view of downtown Vancouver with BC Place and Stanley Park
Downtown from above · © Ian Kobylanski
Granville Street in downtown Vancouver at night with neon signs
Granville Street, after dark
Downtown Vancouver busy street with pedestrians and skyscrapers
A downtown street in spring
Vancouver skyline with mountains and a marina
Skyline, mountains and marina
Granville Street in Vancouver on a rainy day
Granville Street in the rain
Downtown Vancouver and False Creek marinas at sunset
False Creek at golden hour
Vancouver skyline and Granville Island public market at sunset
Granville Island Public Market at sunset
Granville Island sign beneath the bridge in Vancouver
Granville Island
Colorful street art on silos at Granville Island
Painted silos, Granville Island
Colourful Aquabus dock and Vancouver cityscape
Aquabus dock on False Creek
Aerial view of Vancouver False Creek and Science World
Science World and False Creek
Seawall path along the beach in Stanley Park
The seawall at Stanley Park
Aerial view of Vancouver skyline with Stanley Park
Stanley Park and the skyline
Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver with greenery and mountains
Lions Gate Bridge
Woman on a bench by the Vancouver seawall overlooking ocean and mountains
A bench on the seawall
Ocean view with ships and coastline from Stanley Park
Ocean view from Stanley Park
Twilight view of illuminated downtown Vancouver skyline
Downtown at twilight
Night view of Vancouver skyline reflecting on the waterfront
Skyline lights on the water
Vancouver skyline reflecting on calm water at dusk
Dusk reflections
Vancouver skyline across calm water at twilight
Waterfront at twilight

Stock photos from Pexels. Aerial photo © Ian Kobylanski.

How students are doing

The part the brochure skips.

The photos show the mountains. Here is what the first months are really like, from students who have done it.

01

Housing comes first

Rent is high in Metro Vancouver and Victoria. Many students share a room or a basement suite to make it work. Start looking before you land, not after.

02

Work takes time

Most students look for part-time work. The rules on how many hours you may work change, so check IRCC for the current limit. Finding a job can take weeks.

03

Money goes fast

Tuition is only the start. Rent, food, transit and a phone plan add up. Build a real monthly budget before you choose a city.

04

Studying is different

Expect more group work, reading and self-study than you may be used to. Your marks matter for co-op and for what you can do after you graduate.

05

The first winter is hard

It is dark by about 4:30 in December and your family is far away. Students who find their people early usually have a much easier time.

06

You are not alone

There is a Bangladeshi community here. Pitha utshob, Eid, Pohela Boishakh and cultural programs happen every year.

See what we do →
Halal food

Eating halal in BC, the honest answer.

For many of our students this is not a small thing. In Metro Vancouver halal food is easy to find. The further you go from it, the more you need a plan.

01

Groceries

Halal butchers and desi grocery stores are spread across Metro Vancouver, especially in Surrey and Burnaby and in parts of Vancouver. Find one near your housing before you sign a lease.

02

Eating out

Many Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian and Middle Eastern restaurants serve halal, but it differs from place to place. Look for the halal sign or ask which meat they use, every time.

03

On campus

Bigger campuses usually have more food choices and a prayer or multi-faith room. Smaller campuses may have much less, so email the university and ask before you decide.

04

Outside Metro Vancouver

On the Island and in the Interior and North there are fewer halal options and a smaller community. Many students manage well, but it takes planning. Think about it early.

Halal matters to you? Tell us.We will help you pick a city and a campus where daily life actually works for you.Talk to us
What we do

Friends, family and a lot of food.

Studying far from home is easier when there is a table to sit at. Through the year our community gets together, and the table is always full. Tap any photo to see it bigger.

A potluck table with noodles, rolls, curry and fritters
Get-togethers

Potluck

Everyone brings a dish from home, and the table fills up.

Friends and family gathered together for Eid
Every year

Eid festival

When you cannot be with family, you still get an Eid with people, food and new clothes.

A group in festive Bengali clothes in front of a blossoming tree
Spring

Pohela Boishakh

Welcoming the Bengali New Year together, far from Dhaka but not alone.

Men and boys praying together at Jumma in a mosque
Every Friday

Jumma

Friday prayers together, side by side, far from home. For many students this is where the community starts.

Out and about

It is not only festivals. Match days, mountain breakfasts, blossoms, snow and long lunches: this is what ordinary weekends look like for us. Tap any photo to see it bigger.

Four friends in Brasil shirts and a World Cup T-shirt at the Surrey Fan Zone
Match day

World Cup in Surrey

When the Fan Zone came to Surrey City Centre, we went in a big group, in Brasil yellow, and made a day of it.

Friends and a baby standing in a green valley with snow-capped mountains and blue sky
Weekend breakfast

Breakfast at the mountain

A slow weekend breakfast with a mountain in front of us. In BC, even a simple meal can have a view.

A large group of friends and family around a first birthday cake with a Happy Birthday banner and balloons
Through the year

Birthdays

A cake, balloons and a room full of friends. Birthdays feel bigger when your community is your family.

Friends standing in front of a tall white sculpture beside a lake with mountains behind
Day trips

Mountains and water

Within a couple of hours of the city there are lakes, mountains and places to stand and take the photo.

Yellow tulips with mountains behind
Spring

Tulip festival

Every spring the fields turn yellow, pink and red, and half the community turns up with a camera.

A mother holding her baby among cherry blossom trees
Spring

Cherry blossom

The streets turn pink for a few weeks. Friends, babies and photos under the trees.

Two people standing in falling snow between bare trees
Winter

Snow days

Snow is rare in the city, so when it falls we go out and enjoy it.

A group of friends and children posing in a restaurant
Through the year

Eating out together

A big table at a local restaurant, with family, kids and everyone's plates.

A large group of friends in Brasil football shirts posing on a pitch under floodlights at night
Football night

Game on, under the lights

Brasil shirts, floodlights and a very long line for the team photo. Sport is one of the easiest ways to find your people.

Photo: Ratul Dhar
Not only Vancouver

Vancouver is not the only city. BC has more.

Many of our students study in Victoria, Nanaimo, Kamloops and Kelowna. Each one is a different life: calmer, often cheaper, and further from the biggest Bangladeshi community. Tap a city on the map and it takes you there.

VancouverVictoriaNanaimoKamloopsKelowna
Tap a city to read about it. Zoom in for Burnaby, Surrey and Langley.
City with a story belowBC Ferries route
The universities

Eleven campuses. Eleven different lives.

Same province, very different days. A big city campus and a northern town campus are not the same experience, so read the trade-offs too.

This is a general guide. Programs, fees and rules change, and each program has its own details. Check the university’s own website, and confirm that your exact program is eligible for a post-graduation work permit before you commit. Talk to us first.

The part nobody talks about

Know before you go.

People talk about the university and the course. Not many talk about the rent, the rain, the distance and missing home. We do.

01

Rent

Rent in Metro Vancouver and Victoria is among the highest in Canada. Work out housing first, then everything else. Cities like Surrey, Kamloops and Prince George are often cheaper.

02

Rain

From October to March the coast is grey and wet. If months of drizzle sounds hard, the Interior is drier and sunnier, with real snow and cold instead.

03

Distance

BC is huge. Prince George is about nine hours from Vancouver by road, and Victoria and Nanaimo need a ferry. Check the distance before you check the ranking.

04

Missing home

Metro Vancouver has the most Bangladeshi food, groceries and community. Smaller cities have less. Think about your first winter, far from family.

Still think Victoria is next to Vancouver? Read this first.

Not sure which city is right for you?

Talk to us