An insight into... Studying Forensic Science at ARU

Forensic Science student Kirsty shares her experiences of studying at ARU in Cambridge, what she loved about her course - and what the future might hold.

There are so many subjects that you can study at university that you may not get the opportunity to explore at school or college. For me, at least, one of those subjects was forensic science so this blog post will hopefully provide a bit of insight into what the course is like, from someone who has recently graduated from it.

Forensic Science modules and lab sessions

Each term (approximately 12 weeks), we studied three or four modules that covered different areas of forensic science, including biology, chemistry and crime scene investigation. Most of these modules have some lecture content, with sessions that tend to be 2-3 hours long, where most of the theory is taught. Something that worked well for my learning style was looking through slides ahead of time so I had a vague understanding of the material, so I could focus on the more complex things while I was in the lecture. Often these lectures are broken into sections, so there may be an hour going through the lecture content, then the chance to work through example questions or interactive quizzes after a short break, so there is a lot of active learning.

The second major part of the teaching in my course is the practical sessions or labs. We work in more traditional science labs like the SuperLab, but also in the crime scene rooms at the top of the Science Centre. The practical sessions are about putting the knowledge gained from the lectures into practice, from examination and processing of evidential samples, investigating mock crime scenes to collect evidence, chemical analysis and even working with archaeological skeletal remains in final year. Almost every module has some kind of practical component to it!

The assessments vary from module to module but are generally some kind of exam or in-class test and then a piece of written work and/or a presentation. Written coursework includes things like essays and lab reports, but also a case file and witness statement in one of the final year modules. There may also be practical assessments in some modules, including competency tests for lab skills and even presenting evidence in moot court.

Personal growth at university

My university experience has taught me a lot, academically, personally, and professionally. Coming into university after a break from education, I had to quickly re-learn how to study again which was a steep learning curve. Fortunately, the forensic science course is so incredibly varied that I found that even if I was struggling with one module, there would be another one in the same term I felt more confident with to balance it out.

Something I very quickly realised is that learning the theory of something is only part of the university. Developing lab skills, communicating with new people, working in groups and having confidence in your work are all important too. That makes it sound incredibly daunting, but it means things are less about an answer in an exam and more about how you work and develop as a scientist.

My interests and goals changed throughout my degree, so it’s important not to rule anything out before you at least give it a try. I didn’t really enjoy most of the biology aspects of my course initially but one of the final year biology-orientated modules was one of my best marks and one of my favourite modules of the year.

My dissertation also allowed me to really take ownership of a project from start to finish which was incredible and so much more rewarding than I expected it to be. The process of writing and presenting my work taught me a lot about what methods of working are best suited to me, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and encouraged me to consider research as part of my career path. It is still one of the things I am the proudest of from my time at university.

Adjusting to university life

University is a very different experience from school or college in that you have much more control over how you spend your time, and you have to be much more independent. Outside of timetabled sessions, there is still work to do researching for assignments, reading around the topic and revising for exams, but you have to manage your own time for these things. It makes the university so much more flexible, to fit around a part-time job and personal commitments but it requires more discipline and motivation which can be tricky when you’re first starting.

Something that helped me a lot was sticking to a rough timetable of 9-5 for uni work so I could have the evenings to relax but I kept it flexible in case I had a deadline or a particularly busy week. Part of the adjustment to university life is finding what system works for you though, as that’s different for everyone.

Another thing to remember at university is that if you need help, you need to ask for it. Everyone I have worked with and had support from at ARU has been amazing, but you do have to let them know if you’re struggling. For academic concerns, module and course leaders are the best people to approach but you’ll also have a personal development tutor (PDT) you can go to for pretty much anything. The counseling and wellbeing team is also open to everyone, and there are online resources if you don’t feel up to talking to someone.

The Forensic Science BSc was a perfect subject choice for me as someone who loves science but finds it much easier to understand and remember topics when they are applied to real-life situations. Almost every module has a practical component, and many of these practicals are linked to different evidence types, analytical methods or mock cases.

What next?

I graduated from my course in July so I'm moving onto something new this year. I will be working as a lab demonstrator for the Forensic Science and Crime and Investigative Studies courses alongside starting a new role as a Research Assistant in the faculty. I am looking towards working in education, or university outreach and recruitment, but am also considering coming back to ARU in a year or two to do a postgraduate qualification.

I hope this has given you a little insight into the Forensic Science course at ARU and some lessons I have learned from my time at the university. Thank you for reading!

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Kirsty studied Forensic Science at ARU in Cambridge. You can find out more about this, and other courses we offer, at an Open Day.