If you want to improve in your critical thinking, be more confident in public speaking and understand the social world for those who have been incarcerated or are prone to partake in criminal behaviour, Criminology and Law at BNU is the course for you!

Many students always wonder what their course will be like at University. I was filled with both excitement and uncertainty when choosing to study at BNU because I truly did not know what to expect. I decided to study BSc (Hons) Criminology and Law and it was the best decision.

During my time on the course I got to learn about the social world in the context of a criminal and the background of Law and the way it should be applied. It was very interesting to discuss real life criminal and law cases and the different ways we would have dealt with the case. It really encouraged our critical thinking skills and encouraged us to not be afraid of debating which are essential skills for those aspiring a career in Criminology and as a Lawyer. 

In our first year we had the opportunity of going to the local Magistrates court in High Wycombe. This court is where less serious offence cases are trailed. We saw road safety offences and a case of substance abuse. It was important and informative to witness all we discussed within class, in real-life. It gave us a real taste into the structure of courts and how criminal behaviour is handled in the real world and not just in a classroom. 

Throughout first year we also looked at several criminological theories such as the Labelling theory and delved into social ideologies such as the Strain Theory. The concepts we discussed in first year and throughout the degree presented various perspectives that really caused me to look at the crime and people differently. Our lecturers wasted no time in getting us accustomed to organisations in the workforce as we had many speakers from different companies across Buckinghamshire. 

In second year, we were given the opportunity by the Law department to go to Lincolns Inn, a place where aspiring Barristers are supported academically and financially throughout their pursuit in becoming Barristers. The event was a great time to mix with students from other universities around the country and to converse with current Barristers who worked in different fields of law. 

We had an interactive session and we sat down with fellow peers and Barristers and talked about their work as barristers and their experience at Lincolns Inn. This was incredibly inciteful to students in my course who desired to pursue a career in law. 

As we began third year the frequent visitors from employees across the country in Criminological organisations came to discuss career prospects with us.

Although I was unsure about what to expect with choosing to study Criminology and Law at BNU, I can now say it opened me up to several opportunities and I found it especially easy to find different work experience or volunteering opportunities due to the constant exposure to the work force that our lecturers presented us with. 

My time at BNU was worth it because I was able to do a course that truly desired to see me advance and better myself through the help of lecturers and my cohort. If you want to improve in your critical thinking, be more confident in public speaking and understand the social world for those who have been incarcerated or are prone to partake in criminal behaviour, Criminology and Law at BNU is the course for you!