Worried about music at Westminster university

[Mombat]

My daughter is about to start at Westminster Uni doing music and I've just discovered the uni stat figures of 32% satisfaction. Reading through has made my heart sink especially when I looked at other music courses - 83% satisfaction at Salford! We are not a rich family and sending her to uni has been a dream but I am so worried she'll be wasting her time. I don't know what to do. Can she give up her place or will she get charged? We only looked because one of my husband's friends went on the course 20 years ago and it made him. It just looks like it's been downhill ever since. I'm kicking myself for not taking more of an interest, but I've been unwell for the past year and not really been able to support my girl.

I’m not sure I’d want my child to go to Westminster to do their music course.

I’m not sure many (any?) music degrees are useful or necessary to get into the music business. The tier below a degree yes, but a degree?

What area of music is she interested in? What were her A levels and grades? Where are you in London?

Hi, I'm currently a music student at westminster doing the same course your daughter is wanting to do. I love this course and I'm really glad I chose to do it. The course is very flexible and a lot of the lecturers have direct links to the music industry so I was able to go to a lot of industry events which included Warner Music and the BBC.
A lot of the comments have been very focused on the reputation of universities. Through my own current experience with the course being proactive and having supportive lecturers personally providing me with opportunities has been amazing. It's a very modern and flexible course (very different to the more traditional music universities) but it allows you to enter the music business with ease as you simultaneously build a portfolio whilst studying.
It's also a very sociable course and you mix a lot with the other years and also the other creative students on campus. If your daughter is passionate about music and is proactive, she'll really enjoy it.

My dh teaches at a university on a practical performing arts course. Their student satisfaction is lower than many becasue students sometimes go in with the wrong expectations. This particular course aims to train future performers and culminates in a graduate showcase for agents. Its basically like going to drama school but at a university. And graduate outcomes are fantastic.

But some students rank it lower for satisfaction because things aren't done in the same wasy as at an academic university and students are not seen as the customer but as a person to train for the industry.

However saying that my son wants to go into music tech and Salford willbe high up on his list of places to apply along with Surrey (Creative Music Tech, not Tonnmeister). Places are generally awarded more on audition/portfolio standard than academic grades. Westminster isn;ty really on his radar.

Salford has great industry links at Medial City too.

Mmmm Throwaway1122 what exactly is a Westminster university student doing on a Mumsnet site so close to the new term? It's hugely coincidental. Sorry, I do not believe you, I think you are probably from the university new media marketing team. FYI people with no previous history who suddenly appear on Mumsnet to defend an institution are nearly always suspect. The very problem is that the tutors at Westminster University DON'T have contacts with the music industry because they've never done more than appear on Top of the Pops (wow this dates me) once in the 1980s!

Look at the employability figures. Unfortunately newer universities don't always have good graduates employability but do have specialist courses. If she likes the different components then go for it, otherwise suggest a gap year and reconsider

what exactly does she want to do in the music industry? business or creative side?
What has changed massively since your friend went is that a lot of specialist courses have opened up and many of them (like BIMM) have better business links and therefore higher employment ratest at the other end.
If she wants to go into the business side, which area? for most, a music degree isn't remotely necessary - playing a bit on the side of an eg english or statistics degree (depending on area) will be more helpful

OP , I am bit worried that you keep mentioning cost. Alarm bells are ringing, given she is staying at home.

You have applied for finance, haven't you?

I have to agree with Atila I’m afraid.

Employment statistics don’t say what sort of job the graduate is in. They don’t tell you if the graduate is employed in their specialist area or employed by the university they went to in an admin role.

My mum told me someone posted it so I decided to make an account and reply with my own experience as I thought it’d be relevant to someone who is in the same boat I was. This is a new account because I’m a student and wouldn’t have a mumsnet account previously?? I’m simply giving information about the course because I’m currently enrolled on it and thought it would be beneficial. I find your comment very narrow-minded. (I also doubt very much the media team would be working at 10.30pm).

Thank you very much to everyone who has replied. Thank you also to the posters who have messaged me privately. I am now worried that the university is monitoring this thread and so I am not going to give any more details about my daughter because it might count against if she ends up going. I'm not going to repeat what posters have told me privately, but it hasn't made me feel any better.