International student profiles content store_hidden Shirin Shrestha Our students and alumni

I was born and brought up in the capital of Nepal – Kathmandu. For 23 years of my life I lived in the foothills of Kathmandu's second tallest hill – Changradiri – when on a clear day you could see the Himalayas from my home. 

I did my undergraduate degree with Islington College Nepal, one of London Met's partner universities from Nepal. Every year Islington College and London Met provide scholarships to one or two students and I was fortunate to have received this scholarship to pursue my fully-funded master's degree at London Metropolitan University.

Studying at London Met meant much more to me than earning a degree. It was a journey of growth, self-discovery and countless little wins that have shaped the person I am today.

One of the most valuable parts of my experience was meeting people from all around the world. The international exposure broadened my perspective, introduced me to different cultures and taught me to appreciate the world beyond what I had always known.

London Met also introduced me to the career I am building for myself today. It gave me the opportunity to discover a path I may not have otherwise found, and provided me with the knowledge, experiences and confidence to pursue it.

But most importantly, London Met helped me discover myself. Moving away from my family and everything familiar was not easy. I was once the girl who was afraid to even eat alone in a restaurant, and today, I am someone who feels confident enough to live life on her own terms in one of the biggest and my favourite city – LONDON. That transformation happened through many small steps, small challenges and small victories.

Every time I did something that once scared me, I proved to myself that I was capable of more than I had imagined. I am grateful to London Met for giving me the opportunity to grow, to find my own path and, most importantly, to make the little girl in me believe that the life she once thought was out of reach is actually achievable.

That is what London Met means to me.

I currently work as a Quality Assurance and Data Officer at Italia Conti Arts Centre, a prestigious UK arts institution with a history spanning 115 years. My role sits within higher education, where I support the institution’s quality assurance processes, including quality cycles, meetings, reviews and continuous enhancement. Alongside this, I work with higher education data and key performance indicators, looking at areas such as student retention and satisfaction to help identify trends, understand the student experience and inform ways of improving the quality of education we provide.

What makes this role particularly meaningful to me is that I was first introduced to the world of higher education quality assurance and student involvement while studying at London Met. During my time as a student, I had the opportunity to work as a Student Panel Member and Student Curriculum Partner. These experiences opened my eyes to the work that happens behind the scenes to shape education – from student voice and partnership to validation and the way educational institutions work with their partners. Having completed my undergraduate degree at a London Met partner college from Nepal, I was also fascinated by understanding how these wider educational partnerships operate. In many ways, discovering quality assurance and academic partnership in higher education felt like a full-circle moment.

Although I studied marketing for my master's degree, my experiences at London Met introduced me to a completely new area that I became genuinely interested in. I realised that I wanted to contribute to education in a way that could directly improve students’ experiences.

The most rewarding part of my role is knowing that the work I do can make a difference to students, even through what may seem like small changes. Whether it is helping implement improvements to classrooms and resources, contributing to decisions about what students need during their studies, or using data and student feedback to identify areas for improvement, I find purpose in knowing that students’ voices can influence their educational experience. In the long term, I would love to take what I have learned about quality assurance, student voice, academic, professional and industry partnership and use it to contribute to making education more inclusive, responsive and of a higher quality.

For me, this role is an unexpected but incredibly meaningful direction that my journey at London Met helped me discover.

My biggest passion in life has always been making a positive difference in people’s lives. I grew up helping my parents in their business from a very young age and eventually took on responsibilities in marketing, sales and client relationship development for my parents company. Watching their journey taught me that business is not just about success or numbers; it is also about people, relationships and kindness.

Whether through education, business, arts, travel or any other field, I want whatever I do to have a purpose and positively impact people’s lives. One day, I hope to return to entrepreneurship and build small businesses that are not only successful in monetary terms, but also create value and make a genuine difference to the people and communities around them.

What drives me is simply the thought of making myself, my family and my husband happy, to make a difference in each of our lives and to see what I am capable of achieving. I am motivated by learning, taking on challenges and turning opportunities into something meaningful. 

One of the proudest moments of my life was receiving the London Met scholarship for my master’s degree at my undergraduate graduation ceremony. I had no idea if I had made it, so hearing my name called was completely unexpected. What made the moment even more special was seeing the joy and tears in my parents’ eyes. The pride and happiness in that moment are something I will cherish forever. It was not just a recognition of my hard work, but a moment that felt like a celebration of how far we had come together as a family.

Whenever I get the chance, I love going on a day trip somewhere new in the UK or exploring a different country. Moving to the UK gave me what I often describe as “wings to travel”, and I have truly cherished that freedom.

I love discovering new places, learning how to say a simple “hello” or “thank you” in different languages, trying local foods and experiencing different cultures. Having spent the first 23 years of my life in my home country, travelling to 14 countries in the last three years has been an incredibly special experience.

There is something incredibly fulfilling about being somewhere I have never been before, seeing something for the first time and coming home with a new story or perspective. Every trip, big or small, brings me joy while also making me more curious, open-minded and appreciative of how much the world has to offer. For me, travelling is not just about the places I visit; it is about the experiences, the little moments and the person I become along the way. For now, I am excited to see where the journey takes me and to keep saying yes to opportunities that help me grow.

My biggest piece of advice would be to be open to everything London Met has to offer. You learn from every class you attend, every activity and society you take part in and every volunteering opportunity or part-time work you get involved with. Some of the experiences that shaped me most were the opportunities I found outside my degree, particularly getting involved in student voice and university activities.

So, say yes, step outside your comfort zone and make the most of the people, opportunities and experiences around you. You never know which small opportunity might open a door to something that shapes your future.

The students on my course came from all around the world, with many bringing work experience from different industries, countries and markets. Learning alongside such a diverse group was exciting and gave me perspectives that I would not have gained from a classroom alone.

The teaching staff were equally incredible. Many had worked internationally and brought a wealth of real-world knowledge and experience into the classroom. 

I actively sought opportunities to gain practical experience alongside my studies. I completed a Digital Marketing internship with a Dubai-based marketing company during the summer alongside my dissertation and also volunteered as a Social Media Volunteer for Save the Children’s charity shop in North London.

My final project explored customer experience with self-checkout technology, focusing on why customers choose to use self-checkout and what drives that decision. The project allowed me to explore the intersection of technology, business and consumer behaviour, while understanding how businesses can use customer insights to improve the overall experience. It was particularly interesting to see how the same technology can be perceived very differently depending on a customer’s age, expectations and individual preferences. 

I came in expecting to learn about marketing, but I ended up discovering a whole new area of higher education. Looking back, I think one of the biggest surprises was that some of the opportunities I least expected would end up shaping the direction of my career.

My favourite space at London Met would have to be the classrooms on the 11th floor of Tower building. The views across central and north London were incredible – especially during nights, and I often found myself looking out of the windows between seminars.

Living in London, it was easy to get caught up in the rush of everyday life, but those views always brought me back to reality. They reminded me to pause and think, “I’m actually here, in this amazing city that I now call home.” For me, those classrooms became a little reminder of how far I had come and how lucky I was to be living and studying in London.

Tower Bridge has a special place in my heart because it was the first place I visited when I landed in the UK. It may be busy and touristy, but I love how a centuries-old landmark can exist alongside London’s modern skyline. There is something quite amazing about seeing so much history and modern life coexist in one place.

Primrose Hill is special for a different reason. Seeing central London from the hill, especially at night, with the city lights stretching out in one beautiful frame, never gets old. It reminds me to pause and appreciate the city that has become my home. Perhaps Tower Bridge represents where my London journey began, while Primrose Hill represents how much I have come to appreciate the city along the way.