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.

• Hassan II University, plus schools like ESCA, UIC and EMLYON's campus, host international students
• You will live everyday Moroccan life, not a tourist version
• The Atlantic corniche and Hassan II Mosque are on your doorstep

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.

• Meet friends in the cafes of Maarif and Gauthier, the heart of daily social life
• Spend weekends along the Ain Diab corniche, from beaches to seafront cafes
• Practise your French and Darija in language exchanges to break into local circles

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.

• Eat at local snack stalls and markets, where a filling meal costs 20-40dh
• Buy fresh produce at the Marche Central or neighbourhood souks
• Use petit taxis (red) and insist on the meter for cheap city rides

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.

• Look for shares in Maarif, Gauthier and Racine for central, walkable living
• Use Avito and Mubawab (Morocco's main property sites) and local Facebook groups
• Ask the Casablanca group on Studcasa for trusted leads and to avoid deposit scams

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.

• Ride the Casa Tramway with a rechargeable travel card for daily trips
• Take red petit taxis and insist on the compteur (meter)
• Use ONCF trains from Casa-Voyageurs, including Al Boraq high-speed services

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.

• Hassan II University for public faculties; ESCA, UIC and others for business and engineering
• Brush up your French, as it is the language of instruction in many courses

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.

• Many nationalities (EU/UK/US/CA/AU): 90 days visa-free
• Stays over 90 days, apply for a carte de sejour in-country
• Bring, passport valid 6+ months, uni attestation, photos, proof of funds and address
• Check your own nationality on the Moroccan consulate site before booking

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.

• Have couscous on a Friday, the traditional family meal of the week
• Eat fresh grilled seafood near the port and the Marche Central
• Try street msemen (flatbread) and mint tea at a neighbourhood cafe

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.

• Maarif for shopping, cafes and central student living
• Gauthier and Racine for leafy, upmarket streets and cafes
• Ain Diab for the beach, corniche and nightlife

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.

• Zip to Rabat in about 50 min or Marrakech in about 2.5h on ONCF trains
• Day-trip down the coast to El Jadida's Portuguese cistern and ramparts
• Take a weekend to Essaouira or Fez when you want a change of pace

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.

• Insist on the meter in petit taxis, or agree the fare before setting off
• Carry cash, as many small shops and stalls do not take cards
• Learn a few Darija and French phrases, which open doors everywhere