Criminological Psychology stood out to me and I saw not many universities did the course. I describe the course I do (when I present it to schools as a Student Ambassador) as Netflix in real life. I say I can get away with binge-watching Netflix crime series by calling it research but in essence my course is explaining why someone did what they did. Every aspect.

It’s an intriguing subject, to look into someone’s mind, history, biology and background to analyse their next move or their reasoning for an action that society calls immoral.

UCAS

My secondary school made us go to a UCAS fair at the local university to talk with representatives. I remember talking to a representative of Bucks New University about the psychology courses and being given some quirky facts about the topic in general. I left with the impression that they were friendly and open. They were interested in what they presented and passionate about where they worked/studied.

When it the time came to apply to UCAS, I had picked Bucks New University, Nottingham Trent University, Bangor University, Edge Hill University and Lancaster University. I only visited two out of those five (after having four out of five give me offers). Bangor wasn’t for me. They weren’t passionate.

What happened on my open day?

I first spoke to one of the sports psychology lecturers while I waited for the head of social sciences to finish speaking. The lecturer got to know my aunt and I, asking where we had come from; which course I was interested in; other universities I’d looked at as well as just get to know more about me. It felt inclusive.

I then spoke with the head of the department and got told about the course and what would happen over the three years; I got asked about my knowledge of psychology and what areas I was interested in.

The whole time I was speaking to the psychology department and anyone I met that day from Bucks, I got a sense of pride. Pride about the university and what they did there. I remember leaving Bucks that day feeling like if I had to go to university, I would be happy there.

A reflection of the past three years...

During my first year of Criminological Psychology, I relearned the basics I had learnt at A Level but to a deeper degree. It was more interesting, with new information that hadn’t been in the textbook I read and memorised to pass A Level. We were encouraged to try new answers and debate our opinions. It was refreshing.

In second year, we were allowed to conduct our own research and got taught the skills we would need in the field of psychology. I started a module called psychological perspectives of criminal behaviour. This module let us debate and discover the different crimes of society. It was a free space to learn.

Coming up to half-way through my third and final year of my degree, we’ve gone more in-depth into modules I thought we’d finished. Introduction to social psychology became critical social psychology which has taught me to look at why research might be published and how society is run as well as the prejudice in society and how research changes due to the times.

I’m in my last year now and I still find my course interesting. Yes, there are modules I wish I didn’t have to do and there are topics that I do find boring but that comes with any course you do.

Each year at Bucks has added something new to a subject I lost interest in at A Level. My dissertation is also able to be linked to what I wish to do in the future. I want to teach English in Asia and so my dissertation is researching on people’s experience of learning a second language and their motivations to do so. I love that my course is versatile in the fact I can learn the basics, specialise and still go down a completely different path.

A bit about my lecturers

The lecturers at for the psychology department at Bucks are amazing. Due to BNU being a small university, your lecturers can get to know you as a person. I’ve come to love talking to my lecturers whether it’s about psychology or not. One of my recent memories is my lecturer for my personality module making a plan to sneak food to my flatmates and I due to self-isolation. They have all offered support over the past three years with both our degree and as people to talk to when you have problems. I think if you pick a psychology degree, you are making yourself vulnerable to people who study individuals and emotions as a job. Being comfortable around them shows they are good at what they do.

My opportunities

I’ve had lots of opportunities at Bucks, both to do with my course and due to the university. In my three years at university, I’ve been able to conduct studies and experiments so that I have the practical skills for the future. I’ve also been able to be part of a lecturers research by being a voice actor for a range of emotions.

I have also had the chance of placements throughout the years. I had signed up for a summer placement this year with the Ministry of Defence however, due to Covid, it wasn’t on.

I went to a conference, in London, a few weeks before the first lockdown that was about psychopaths. It was interesting to hear new research on them and how you have ‘good’ and ‘bad’ psychopaths.

I work with the university as a Student Ambassador and a Digital Ambassador and will have a new role as a mentor for A Level students’ in the new year. I have also had the opportunity to create a psychology taster day for A Level students’ to see if a psychology degree is something, they would be interested in.

A few of us like KPOP as well so that brought us closer, as we’re able to talk about it and play the music around the flat. Coming to Bucks was one of the best decisions I made. Not just because, at the end of three years, I will get a degree but because I have grown at BNU.

I was a shy person when I first came to university and would cry if told I had to speak to a room of people I’d never met. Now I can speak with confidence to groups due to assignments and requirements of being a Student Ambassador.

My ambitions

My dreams have changed as well. They changed with the opportunities presented to me. Throughout that though, I was supported. One of my lecturers was interested in my YouTube channel in first year and we spent a whole fifteen-minute tutorial discussing the ins and outs of it. When I thought about joining the Ministry of Defence placement, another lecturer was happily ready to type up a reference. Now, as I go into the final stretch of my degree, I want to do something completely different to what I had originally thought of doing at the very start. Teaching English in Asia seems a far stretch for someone with a psychology degree based in crime however, during my modules, I’ve learnt about the development of language and the origin of speech. I’ve been supported in changing my dissertation idea from music therapy in prisons (from when I wanted to be a researcher on rehabilitation techniques) to experiences of learning a second language. My supervisor has supported in the conception of the idea and has planted the idea in my head about publishing the results.

I look forward to my future, knowing, over the past three years, I’ve had some of the best support I could’ve hoped for.