My Goal To Get A Criminology Course In University

I have always been captivated to know how things worked and why things happen; which may be the reason why I have an immense fascination about the functions and complications of society. More specifically, I am intrigued to learn about the causes and consequences of crime and how criminal acts affect our society. Amplifying deviance is on the rise for the past couple of years; what are the factors that have led to an increase in criminal behaviour? Is the criminal influenced by triggers around them, or is it simply because of who they are as a person? These are matters which have compelled my mind to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of Criminology.

Sociology has reconfigured my perceptions of the world. My interest in Sociology begun during GCSEs, which then sparked my interest in Psychology, which I then studied in sixth form. Psychology is all about the scientific study of the mind and behaviour and focuses on the reasons for people’s actions. Whilst learning about this, it enabled me to enjoy theoretical concepts about dilemmas which occur in every day scenarios. I also study Economics at A-level which has extremely strengthened my knowledge about current affairs. The subject has vastly improved my analytical abilities as it is a very rigorous course which has pushed me to the greatest of my abilities.

The third A-level that I study is Government and Politics. This subject has helped me to construct complex arguments when needed and has improved my communication skills as I am a very engaging student in the classroom who enjoys getting involved with controversial political issues. I have also had the opportunity to complete an Extended Project Qualification, which I thoroughly enjoyed as I could choose a topic related to my interest. My question was “Why is the number of African American deaths caused by state police higher than other ethnicities in the USA?”. This is a key interest to me as there has been huge controversy over the “Black Lives Matter” movement. Many people claim that there is a huge amount of institutionalised racism in the federal system; however, others say that ethnic minorities are just more likely to commit crimes which lead to lethal punishment by state police. If that is true, what are the factors which make these minorities more prone to be criminals? I would love to be able to analyse this debate further and studying Criminology would be a perfect opportunity for that. Aside from my A-levels, I completed a work experience placement in a nursery, which was a completely new environment for me as I was working with many age groups. I learnt how to be independent and gained more confidence to be responsible for the people around me. I also did another work placement in a solicitor’s firm and helped around the building with various tasks such as drafting legal documents. As I was given great responsibility and independence for this placement, I was able to improve my organisation skills and it helped gain a deeper understanding about law and crimes.

I was a part of the Army Cadet Force which was an excellent decision as it helped me build on my resilience, empathy and team work skills. I was also the leader during certain cadet projects and camps which really boosted my confidence in dealing with unexpected challenges and unfamiliar environments, which will really help me overcome the challenges I may face in a criminology career. I was also given the opportunity to receive a sports leadership qualification which enabled me to improve my leadership and problem solving skills, and being a part of my secondary school’s prefect team gave me a huge amount of responsibility in which I gained deeper organisation abilities.

I believe that my enthusiasm and dedication to my work and knowledge in the subject will be very useful in a Criminology course in university and help me to reach my fullest potential.