University of British Columbia (UBC) Vancouver

Gorgeous campus one of the most beautiful. Did my bachelors of business and computer science here and could not have gotten a better education than the price point - also generous with bursaries. Professors are mostly competent, fun, and very engaged with student learning. Stellar professors in Sauder and computer science faculty. If you are into Greek life, UBC Sororities is an encouraging and friendly environment to make friends during university, dorm / res life as well. Like any university though, can be somewhat biased towards more conservative ideas - not allowing certain speakers to come to campus or allowing unnecessary protests to continue at these discourses. I think it’s important for a reputable university to allow the free discussion of open ideas as there are many international students and Canadian students from various backgrounds.

The academic programs at this university are top-notch, with knowledgeable and engaging professors who challenge and inspire their students. The resources available to students, from the well-stocked libraries to the cutting-edge research facilities, are truly impressive.

UBC Film is a wild ride. You don’t just talk about movies here, you make them, usually on no sleep and way too much coffee - that's for me anyway. It’s competitive to get in, and honestly, it stays competitive once you’re there. But that pressure forces you to grow and learn fast. By second year, our class felt more like a production crew than a random group of students.

The professors are a mix: some hardcore industry people, some full-on art film types, which makes for great discussion and projects. The equipment and facilities are good if you treat them right, and the tech staff are the real mvps when something breaks five minutes before your shoot.

This isn’t a program that hands you a career on a silver platter. It’s about learning how to tell stories that actually mean something, and then figuring out how to pull them off. You’ll freeze on outdoor shoots, lose files, rebuild sets with duct tape, and somehow still make something you’re proud of.

If you love film enough to put up with all that you’ll come out the other side with serious skills and a few stories of your own. This was an amazing program.