Whether guided by the Unofficial McGill Guide or by word of mouth from other students, there is undoubtedly a well-known and official weeknight schedule that most first year students follow, and it goes like this:
MONDAY: KorovaAddress: 3908 St. LaurentVibe: Casual
Korova is a mixture between a bar and a small club. Drinks are relatively cheap and there’s a great shot deal on Mondays. Go to Korova if you’re already missing the weekend and/or hate Mondays.TUESDAY: BDPAddress: 3714 Avenue du ParcVibe: CasualTuesday is the big night because of the beer pong. According to my friend Maddy, on any given Tuesday there are “many, many hockey-playing gentlemen in one huge beer pong tournament,” which is definitely a good enough reason to go.WEDNESDAY: GertsAddress: 3480 McTavishVibe: CasualGerts is McGill’s campus bar, and while it is fun any night of the week, sangria Wednesday is an especially good time. It’s recommended to go early to get a table, because it can get crowded.THURSDAY: TokyoAddress: 3709 St. LaurentVibe: Less casual, but not by any means too fancy or classy – think clubbing attire and more expensive drinksSome people love Tokyo, others hate it, and yet everyone ends up there… every Thursday night. Thursday is the new Saturday in Montreal, and Tokyo is the place to be as a first year (although of course it is not exclusively for first year students).
One of the biggest differences between university and high school is the fact that some people go out every night. Drinking on a Monday was not too common back in high school, however plenty of guys and girls clad in bar and club attire flock to Korova on St. Laurent every Monday night. Going out on weeknights is a great stress reliever at times, and adds to the general feeling of freedom at university, however it adds components to the balancing game that students have to play in terms of work and play.What is surprising about partying at McGill is that the weeknight schedule is relatively inflexible, as one recent Yik Yak put it, “All roads lead to Tokyo.” It is somewhat convenient that this weeknight schedule exists, especially during the beginning of Frosh and throughout the first year experience, because it guides everyone to meeting other first year students and because everyone knows where everyone else will be.
Meanwhile, on weekends there is no set schedule. It seems as though on weekends people end up at various clubs and bars all over town depending on events. The flexibility of weekends is extremely useful because it is possible to break out of the set plan and finally explore rez parties, house parties, and other clubs and bars that are only considered ‘options’ by the general population during the week.
In any case, the party scene in Montreal is amazing, and McGill students definitely know how to capitalize on this. Sometimes it is even difficult to figure out where to go on a weekend night, because so many fun options come out of the woodwork, and that is an especially wonderful problem to have.
Images obtained from:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10204049751021531&set=p.10204049…