Casablanca is Morocco at its most modern and ambitious, the country's business capital, with a growing cluster of universities and business schools and a genuinely cosmopolitan feel. You get Atlantic beaches, one of the world's largest mosques, and a tram network threading a city that never quite stops. It is less touristy than Marrakech, which means a more authentic everyday Moroccan life, with French and Arabic all around you.

Student and social life plays out in the cafes of Maarif and Gauthier, the beach clubs and restaurants of the Ain Diab corniche, and the city's lively music and arts venues. Cafe culture is central, and long afternoons over mint tea or coffee are the default hangout. Nightlife exists but skews upmarket around Ain Diab, so students mix it with beach days and house gatherings.

Casablanca is Morocco's most expensive city but still affordable by European standards, so budget around 6,500-10,000 dirhams (roughly 600-900 euros) a month. Rent is the main cost, from about 2,500-5,000dh for a room or small flat. Street food, local markets and set-menu lunches keep everyday spending very low.

Most students rent a room or share a flat, often arranged through agencies (simsar), word of mouth or Facebook groups, since there is little formal student housing. Maarif, Gauthier and Racine are popular, central and relatively safe areas. Expect to negotiate rent and to pay a couple of months upfront, and always view a place in person first.

The Casa Tramway (Casatram) is the backbone, clean, cheap and covering key routes with a rechargeable card. Petits taxis (red) are everywhere and cheap if you insist on the meter, while shared grands taxis and buses fill the gaps. For intercity trips, the ONCF trains, including the Al Boraq high-speed line, run from Casa-Voyageurs station.

Casablanca's higher education spans the public Hassan II University and a fast-growing set of private business and engineering schools, many with French-language teaching and international partnerships. Expect a more formal, lecture-led style than in northern Europe, with French as the main academic language in many programmes. Some courses run in English, and Arabic is everywhere day to day.

Here is the honest version, and it depends entirely on your passport. Citizens of the EU, UK, US, Canada, Australia and many others enter Morocco visa-free for up to 90 days, so a short exchange that fits inside 90 days needs no visa at all, just your passport and an entry stamp. That covers a lot of one-semester students.

Staying longer than 90 days (a full year, or a long semester) means getting a residence card, the carte de sejour, which you apply for in-country at the local police prefecture within your first three months. Your university issues the enrolment attestation you will need. Start the paperwork the week you arrive: it is bureaucratic, slow, and everyone underestimates it. Non-visa-free nationalities must sort a student visa at a Moroccan consulate before flying.

Moroccan food is a highlight: tagines, couscous on Fridays, harira soup, grilled fish at the port, and fresh msemen and beghrir for breakfast, all washed down with sweet mint tea. Casablanca adds cosmopolitan cafes and seafood restaurants to the mix. Ramadan reshapes daily rhythms, with life shifting to the evenings.

Maarif is the buzzing central district of shops, cafes and nightlife; Gauthier and Racine are elegant, cafe-filled and popular with students and young professionals; Ain Diab is the beachfront corniche of clubs and restaurants; and the old Medina and Habous (the new medina) hold the traditional markets and architecture.

Casablanca's transport links make weekends easy. The capital Rabat is under an hour by Al Boraq high-speed train, Marrakech around two and a half hours, and the coastal towns of El Jadida and Essaouira are straightforward day or weekend trips. Fez and the blue town of Chefchaouen are within reach for longer breaks.

A little French or Darija goes a long way, and learning to haggle politely in souks and taxis quickly pays off. Dress is relaxed in Casa, but modest respect is appreciated, especially outside beach areas. Carry cash for small purchases, watch your belongings in crowds, and pace yourself around Ramadan and Friday afternoons when the city slows.