Criminology & Counselling Personal Statement

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

I want to study my chosen course at your university because I have a keen interest in the criminal justice system and criminal behaviour. Learning about how the minds of criminals work, the criminal justice system and the effects that crime has on society intrigues me. I am extremely excited about and committed to studying criminology as a degree, and strongly believe that I have the skills required to do so. I also aspire to pursue a career within the police.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

I am currently studying criminology as an A Level and I am extremely keen to continue my studies in higher education so that I can expand my existing knowledge. During my time studying A Level criminology at Salford City College, I have studied topics such as awareness of crime, criminology theories, crime scene to courtroom, crime and punishment and how the media reports crime. I have thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of my A Level criminology course, however, the topic that I have found most interesting is crime scene to courtroom. During this topic I have learnt about every stage, process and precaution that needs to be taken from the crime scene up until the criminal trial, as well as a range of real life cases. The knowledge I have already gained will be a huge help in my chosen course at university as I already have an insight on the topic, however I am looking forward to developing my knowledge further. I am also studying psychology as an A Level, in which forensic psychology has been covered. This topic has further helped me to understand the theories and apply new information to my existing knowledge I have gained from my criminology course. The third A Level that I am studying is sociology. In this course I have looked into the effects that crime can have on individuals and society as a whole, which inspired me to work towards pursuing a career within the police force. Assignments set at college have helped me to improve on my time management skills as I have had to complete them before the deadlines, whilst also managing my work life, social life and revision. This also shows that I can work well under pressure.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

In 2014, during my final year at high school, I was appointed as senior prefect. This role gave me responsibilities such as offering help and guidance to other pupils, particularly younger pupils and people who had recently joined the school. I often helped with events that the school held, such as open evenings, shows and award ceremonies. This experience helped to develop my leadership skills, which can be put to practice whilst working on group projects in the course that I am applying to. In 2015, I completed a week of work experience at Global Radio. During this time, I worked with the programming, sales, creative and marketing teams. The commercial director was impressed by my work efforts and stated in a written reference I am "intelligent, punctual, well presented and never hesitant in asking questions about the tasks and jobs" which I was asked to do. My first paid job was the role of sales assistant in a boutique. In this job I had the responsibility of running the shop independently at weekends. This really boosted my confidence as I was communicating with customers face to face and over the phone. Prior to this I would have found it difficult to comfortably interact and work with other people, however I now have the confidence to do so. This will be a huge help with settling into my course at university and working with other students. I then worked as a crew member at McDonalds where I developed my team working skills as every staff member had to work together to ensure that the orders were completed accurately and promptly. Following this, I began my current job at H&M. H&M has really helped me to improve my communication skills as I work face to face with customers helping them with their requests, and also with other H&M stores over the phone to find and hold items for customers.