Our social media ambassador, Yasmeen, discusses why she loves being a student ambassador and why she's not going to stop any time soon.
Date: 20 February 2020
My name is Yasmeen and I’m studying International Relations. I’m also a first year so people are often surprised that I’m so involved at London Met, because us first years take time to adjust to uni life. While that was true for me, I had already told so many of my friends that I was “made for uni”, whatever that meant. To me, university equates to opportunities, not just in regards to the academic side but also discovering parts of yourself you didn’t know existed or finding out that you’re actually a pretty confident person if you’re surrounded by company that’s right for you. That’s why I chose to become a student ambassador – to find out who I really am and what I’m capable of but also to help other people and step outside my comfort zone.
To me, being a student ambassador means a great deal of responsibility, not just to the University because you’re a representative, but also to the students you try to help. Nothing fulfils me more than helping people. Being a student ambassador gives me so many opportunities to influence a young person’s mindset and help raise their aspirations, not necessarily to go to university, but to go somewhere.
I remember this one higher education fair I worked at where I met this GCSE student who had no motivation to do anything after his GCSEs and was just filled with self-doubt. If I’m being honest, he reminded me of my younger self – I didn’t believe I was smart enough or good enough to pursue any form of higher education or do anything worthwhile. So when this student asked me, “What if I’m not good at anything?”, I knew I had to do something to change this mindset of his, because if he didn’t do it at 15, it would be a lot harder to change it at 17. I told him that you couldn’t reach the conclusion that you’re not good at anything if you haven’t tried everything. There were so many doors open for him. After telling him this, he felt so much better and much more confident about himself, but as a lot of us know, building confidence takes time and is always a work in progress. More than anything, I just wanted to enable him to help himself and grow in any way, shape or form.
Another reason I became a student ambassador is to provide prospective students with the correct information about London Met. When I was in Year 13, trying to figure out the five universities I wanted to apply for, I went to London Met’s open days and the applicant day. I met amazing student ambassadors who gave me valuable insight into university life and the lecturers were clearly passionate about what they did. I applied and made it my first choice as well. All the positive ideas I had about London Met were solidified when I started in September, especially through my inductions. My lecturers are way more student-oriented than I thought and they genuinely want to help you succeed.
The Uni as a whole is incredibly inclusive and respectful of the diversity that exists, and I want to relay this information on prospective students who come to our open days. I believe in London Met and I want other students to believe in it too.
