Parents Parents and carers

A guide for parents and carers

Choosing a university is one of the most important decisions a young person has to make. Understandably, many students and their parents or carers worry about making the right choice. University can be an incredible few years and a great investment for the future, but also a very daunting prospect.

As a parent or carer, you'll have your own questions about Higher Education and, more specifically, about London Metropolitan University. This page is designed to answer these questions and to point you in the direction of further help and information where necessary.

Key considerations

What are the benefits of going to university? 

There’s plenty of research to show that university graduates earn higher salaries and more in their lifetimes than those who go straight into work (see the Department for Education's graduate labour market statistics).

Other benefits include:

• acquiring critical thinking skills
• learning to be independent
• getting to study a subject in-depth
• making friends and networking

Every single one of London Met’s undergraduate courses has built-in work opportunities as part of the learning to help your young person out when they graduate.  

If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a calendar of some key dates and deadlines in the university cycle where you can support your potential student. 

Finding somewhere to live 

Where your student would like to live and study is a key part of the university decision-making process. Studying locally and living at home can be a cost-effective way of continuing education. However, many students feel that being away from home, often for the first time, is all part of the university experience.

It can seem daunting in a city like London to help your young person find somewhere affordable, safe and comfortable to live. Our accommodation pages show costs and facilities for nearby student halls in London as well as other accommodation options, such as our private accommodation site just for London Met students, designed to link them up with our other students for flatshares. You can also check out our Yardz videos on YouTube to see some of our students showing you where they're living. 

Flexible courses

Courses at London Met are designed to be flexible, allowing students to tailor their course to suit their needs and interests. Like many universities, we take a modular approach – your young person will take a number of core (or required) modules, and as they progress through the degree, they'll take more optional modules in line with their growing interests.

Study abroad programme

Amazing opportunities to study or work abroad as part of a course are available at most universities including London Met – usually for either a semester or a full year abroad. We have partnerships and links with universities and institutions all around the world, from Europe and North America to Japan and Jamaica. 

"People say that studying abroad is the best decision they've made to date. They say it for a reason. Because it's true." Esther

Campuses

We have three campuses located in the heart of London, with excellent links with businesses and the wider community. There are plenty of events and activities to take part in every day. Many students enjoy the unrivalled opportunities, excitement and diversity that studying in London offers. London has a busy, urban lifestyle that doesn't appeal to everyone, but there are 78 London parks to chill out in – so it's good to find out what kind of student lifestyle your young person is imagining to help with the decision-making process.

Will my child be safe on campus?

Safety and security is a key priority at London Met – we have robust procedures in place to ensure the safety of our students and staff, including first-aid trained security staff at each entrance, with entry to campus via security gates. All staff are trained in safeguarding, with lead officers in various teams who are experienced at dealing with any issues.

We also take mental health and wellbeing very seriously, with our counselling team open to all students for drop-ins and planned appointments, as well as many health and wellbeing events at the University. Previous events have included puppy therapy and singing for wellness.

How much will it cost, and what are the financial support options?

Most universities split costs into two areas:

• tuition fees (the cost of the university teaching)
• living expenses or maintenance (accommodation, food, travel etc)

There are various student loans available for tuition and maintenance (which you pay back once you graduate and are earning above a certain amount). Your student might also be eligible for a bursary or grant (which you don't pay back) and there are some scholarships or financial awards which might be worth applying for.

You can read about these options on our financial funding pages – there are also staff available to talk through fees and funding at our open days. You might also find it helpful to look at Martin Lewis's MoneySavingExpert website.

Other factors to consider

Facilities

The learning, sports and leisure facilities offered by a university can vary widely. We have lots of great facilities, including our mock courtroom for legal trainees, newsroom for aspiring journalists, a Bloomberg information terminals for economists and banking students, a skills and simulation suite complete with a hospital ward and immersive igloo for our health science students. Our art students benefit from MakeWorks, which offers specialist facilities including wood, metal and plastic workshops, digital manufacturing technologies, TV and recording studios, editing suites and darkrooms. Our computing and digital media students have access to a number of exciting facilities including some of the most advanced Cisco labs in London and a Cyber Security Research Centre.

Our £30 million science centre, featuring a Superlab with 280 workstations (one of the largest in Europe), offers a multitude of facilities. Students benefit from specialist laboratories for tissue culture research and microbiology and a nuclear-magnetic resonance room. The centre also features sports therapy study facilities, nutritional physiology labs, phlebotomy labs and more. 

Our University gyms and most exercise classes are free – unlike many universities. 

Teaching and assessment methods

Study at university is much more independent than at school or college. Teaching methods will vary depending on the subject and the institution. At London Met, they may consist of lectures, seminars and classes as well as practical and laboratory sessions. Most of our courses are assessed by a combination of coursework and examinations. Some subjects also require an assessed practical element – you can find out more on individual course pages and in the module details.

Student services

Sometimes at university a student will need help and advice on various issues. At London Met we have a whole range of staff on hand in our Student Zone to assist and support students in all matters from health and religion through to finance and study. 

Our student services include a Disabilities and Dyslexia Service (DDS) that can provide advice, guidance, and support to those who have disability-related questions about applying to London Met (as well as supporting our current students). 

Quality of teaching and research

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) is a useful resource for finding out about the quality of teaching and research for a particular subject at a particular university. Likewise, the DiscoverUni website contains statistics, documents and reports about the quality of teaching.

Both sites are independently assessed so it is an accurate way of researching course quality.

Open days

The best way of deciding if a university is the right place to study is to go to an open day. At these events you can find out specific information about the courses, facilities and life at university as well as meeting current students and academics. We welcome parents and carers at these events.