FAQs about studying at London Metropolitan University with Isabella

Hello, can you introduce yourself?

Hi everyone, my name is Isabella and I'm a student at London Metropolitan University. I study Biomedical Science in my first year and full time. So, I'm here to answer some frequently asked questions.

How often do you have classes in a week?

I have classes two days a week, on Mondays and Thursdays and on each of those days, I have two classes.

What are your best tips for making new friends in uni or in London?

I would recommend going to Freshers Week. It has a good Welcome Fair, free food, some free drinks, it's always nice. And I think that I made a lot of friends during that initial week when you don't know anyone. You need to sit down at a table, you just find yourself chatting to the people around you and they're all really nice. Other than that, I'd say people in your classes. You can ask each other for help and meet up after class. Yeah, really, it's just about striking up conversations with the people around you.

What is one thing that you would change about your uni experience?

I wish I had gotten a little bit more involved throughout that Welcome Week. I'm a commuting student. I don't live in accommodation. So, it's about 45 minutes to an hour for me to get to the school. So, if there was an event that only lasted about an hour, I would choose not to go and looking back, I kinda wish that I had, cause they looked really fun. If you check out the University's social media, they usually post pictures of the different events that took place and after I didn't go, I thought, "Ah dang, they looked kind of fun." So, if you wanna put yourself out there, I wish that I had. That would probably be my recommendation.

What is the first year of Uni like?

So far in my experience, it's very chill. I don't think that first year has a lot of pressure academically. Obviously in lectures, they're going to throw a lot of information your way. At times, I was a bit overwhelmed, just sort of catching up on things I didn't understand. It's not... I don't think, overall too demanding. From the friends that I have in their later years in uni, I definitely get the impression that first year is probably a tad more laid back.

What are three things you shouldn't forget to bring to uni?

First of all, laptop. Very, very helpful if you have a laptop or an iPad. A lot of the notes, the Powerpoints, are accessible through online resources and I find it helpful to have my own version of the Powerpoint up while the lecturer is talking through the slides. I can jot stuff down at the same time. I write fast on my laptop and on paper so definitely, definitely recommend bringing something you can type on. A laptop charger. Always helpful so you don't run out of battery. And the third thing. Coffee. You need it to focus. Some sort of caffeine source. That's what I always have with me, to be honest. Then, you know, pens and papers. The usual school supplies. I'd say laptop, laptop charger, and coffee.

What's the social life like at London Met?

I think it's a very active social life. We have the Students' Union who organises a lot of end of term parties. We had a Halloween party, a Diwali party. There is a lot going on. Probably an event every week, to be honest. I found it very impressive how they could organise so many social events and gatherings. There are also lots of societies and clubs you can join.

How do you budget your money while living in London?

I don't live in London. I'm a commuting student. I live in a county called Hertfordshire and then I take the train. So, students do get a lot of discounts in places. When you get your student ID badge, I think a lot of shops do, you know, if you show it, they'll give you a small percentage off. I know in terms of rail cards, you can get a third off train tickets as a student and you can apply that to your oyster card. So, transport would be cheaper. That's a nice way to budget, getting the discounts in.

What's something you learned in your degree that you found the most interesting?

I think as a whole, the module of anatomy and physiology is something that I've probably found the most interesting. I think it is something that builds off of a level biology the most already have that foundation of knowledge and this module, it really builds off what you think you already know and you gain all this additional information that I think is just really fascinating.

Do you have a favourite lecturer from your course and why?

I can't say that I do. Because I think they're all pretty great! I don't think that I could pinpoint anyone as my favourite and my least favourite lecturer. I think they're all pretty similar in skill set. They're all really good at explaining things. I guarantee if you have any questions, just go up and ask them. They will happily help you if you're struggling with anything, if you need something explained again, they will help you.

What is the best thing about studying at London Met?

The course itself is really interesting and the environment is really nice, like, people are just nice. They always want to come up and talk to you, ask you questions, but other than that, I think the central location of the Uni itself is a really good selling point. It's right between a bunch of different train stations. You have the Holloway underground station, you have Drayton Park, Highbury & Islington, Finsbury Park, you know. So, I think overall, it's just a really nice environment to be in.