My favourite aspect about studying Criminology at The University of Manchester is the programme itself! I find the course very interesting and the content is mostly engaging. I have particularly loved learning about the Criminal Justice System and how it works. The classes are evenly spread out throughout the week which means that I do not end up feeling overwhelmed by the workload and this also allows you to have a social life and gain work experience if you want to. The teachers are generally approachable and the university has a great support network; inclusive of academic advisors who are there to support students with academic, financial and personal problems or queries. One of the negative aspects is that a lot of things are now online: lectures are only an hour long and the rest of the work is through videos online; checking into lessons is online, meaning that if the system is down (which can happen to most technology from time to time) my attendance will be lower. The university could perhaps improve this by putting a system in place to use our university passes to check in physically. However, due to the pandemic it would be difficult as some students are studying remotely. The student life is very busy at this university! There are so many societies and ways to meet new people, even if you are not living on campus like myself! I have joined the African Caribbean society who are so friendly and welcoming and set many events up for us. I would definitely recommend this university to anyone. The school is accommodating and has many international students and has societies that those from ethnic minority backgrounds can join. However, my course, Criminology, does not reflect Manchester as a whole as it is not diverse at all which often means that there are very similar opinions within the group. The University of Manchester team makes me feel very confident that when I leave I will secure a high-level job within my desired field. As previously mentioned, I would recommend my university to everyone; if you would love a balance of academia and a party lifestyle the University of Manchester is for you!

The subject I am studying is in itself very engaging, yet most of the assessments we receive enhance it. From court reports, that you are meant to build on a trial you observed in court, to designing your research proposal on a subject of interest or coming up with your own policy briefing, you are asked and encouraged to critically engage with what you have learned and put it into practice. Moreover, you get to be taught by experts in the field and academics, which are otherwise very willing to help you and give valuable feedback. The are plenty of volunteering opportunities, societies, and other valuable experiences that you can engage in to make the most of your time at the University, such as peer mentoring. There are also great services put in place in order to help you with any type of problems or simply to assist you with advice such as the Teaching and Learning Student Experience Office, the Career Service, the Counselling Service and so on. The halls provided by the university are an amazing place to get to meet people from all over the world, although their taste in terms of design is mostly modest. With the right people around you, this place will make you feel like home, yet regardless of anything, it will indeed help you develop new skills and improve existing ones in order to grow.