Written by Elisha Hamilton – Law and Criminology Student

When I first began considering applying to university I had no idea what I would even want to study, let alone where. I had so many questions to consider. What degree can I study with my current A-Levels? Do I have any future career plans? What degree would be most useful regardless of my lack of future career plan? Do I prefer a campus or city university? How far do I want to be from home? These questions only scratch the surface of everything that had to be considered.

In July 2019, I received my A-Level results and accepted a conditional offer to study Law with Criminology at the University of Manchester and I don’t regret my choice of course or university at all.

Since I started university with no clear career path, the combination of Law and Criminology allowed me to engage with different learning styles (Law being a LOT of reading and a focus on analysis, whereas Criminology I felt was more research based); I’d also come out of uni with a respected LLB degree with a range of transferable skills if I decided to choose another sector. So far in my course, I’d say my favourite modules have been ‘Criminal Law’ and ‘Principles of Law Medicine and Ethics’ but I’m looking forward to studying ‘The Criminal Psychopath’ in my final semester of University this year. I would say that all the rumours you’ve heard about the amount of reading for Law are true, and to an extent this also applies to Criminology as well, but my best piece of advice would be: do not, if at all possible, fall behind.

Once I’d decided to study a Joint Honours degree, I considered a few universities to pursue my studies; however, I still stand by my decision to study at the University of Manchester. Firstly, I much prefer the city University layout to the campus university as the student life is ingrained into the city with everything being incredibly close and walking distance in most cases. Secondly, I love the city, particularly the selection of cafes, restaurants and bars. Manchester offers such a range and there’s always something to do or somewhere to go, whether your preference is clubbing and nightlife, cuisine, activities like mini golf or just shopping. I’d definitely say I’ve fallen in love with Manchester and its beauty over the years that I’ve studied here.

The University itself offers so many amazing opportunities for the course specifically, as well as through extracurricular. I’ve personally taken part in volunteering through the University for the last few years, as well as enjoying a range of sports (whether it be a taster or a weekly commitment) like gymnastics or powerlifting. The opportunities offered by the Law department are an amazing way to develop your skills whether directly for law or otherwise, one example being the Legal Advice Centre which I was part of in second year, where I was able to interview a real-life client, research a completely new area of law and compose a letter of advice.

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