My experience studying Psychology with Criminology

Psychology with Criminology graduate (now Masters student) Anna reflects on her experiences at ARU in Cambridge.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to study criminology. I remember being seven years old watching my mom’s favourite Criminal Minds episodes with her, which she only made me watch as long as she could put her hand on my eyes during bloody scenes.

And then, all of a sudden, I was 18, thinking about my future and my career. So many things happened in along the way, and I’d like to talk about them to demonstrate to those who would like to pursue their dream studies, and to those who find difficulties on along the way.

Why ARU?

Every Italian student attending their fourth year of high school, like I was in 2018, starts thinking about the university they want to attend. My choice was clear. 'Since Italy does not offer criminology undergraduates, I’ll start just with a psychology one, and then I’ll find a course I can attend to pursue my passion in Criminology', I used to tell myself.

However, after attending a university fair hosted in my city, seeing a British stand with yellow tape that said CRIME SCENE – DO NOT CROSS all around, falling in love with the explanation I had on Anglia Ruskin University and all its courses, and convincing my parents to let me go to another country’s university, I finally managed to start my dream course in my dream university in January 2021! 

This made me a January starter [many, though not all, courses at ARU offer January starts], but there was no big difference to starting in September. Basically, instead of beginning the course with Trimester 1 (that usually goes from September to December), I started my course with Trimester 2 (January to May-ish). Lecturers know that some students start in January, and they include slides on the material covered in Trimester 1 when needed, so no big deal!

Did Covid-19 affect my course?

One of the most-asked questions I get when I tell people I attended a UK university during the pandemic, is about how I managed to actually attend my classes.

Well, as every other student did, I received a package of links that included videos with instructions for every single possible thing I needed to know: how ARU's learning management system Canvas works, how to access Outlook, where to find recordings and how to download apps.

I was nervous at the beginning, but then I realised all my other classmates were attending lectures and seminars on Teams too, and we were still receiving all the attention we’d received on campus. I managed to do half of my BSc online, from my home country, before moving to Cambridge to continue my studies.

Online and in person, I was able to attend my lectures three days a week, and my seminars (which were about every other week) for both psychology and criminology. Both the departments worked amazingly to give us students the chance to attend everything. Some people told me that attending a merged course would give me just a rough and basic knowledge of both subjects. Instead, I appreciated the fact that specialised lecturers who were working in the field or who had researched specific topics for years were actually the ones teaching.

The style of teaching was consistent, too. I was taught the material for my modules (three each trimester, some are mandatory, some are optional) via lectures of about 1-2 hours long, and organised my own notes in the way I preferred – pen and paper, iPad notes, PowerPoint etc. I also attended all my seminars (they are key!) in which I got a better view of the material and had the chance to discuss it with others, ask questions of the lecturer, and test my knowledge with games and quizzes. I believe nothing is more stimulating than a good debate, even if it’s at five in the afternoon!

Having to attend classes only three days of the week helped me to organise my working life as well. While still in Italy I had the chance to work every evening to earn some money for the accommodation I’d need in the UK. After I moved, I discovered that ARU Temps was offering many options for student work, and I started applying for jobs there.

How did ARU differ from what I was expecting?

When I applied to ARU I wasn't sure what to expect. I had little to no knowledge on the British educational system, so I found the different ways I’d be assessed during my studies very interesting.

I submitted about two or three assessments for each module, every trimester. Sometimes I had to write essays of about 1,000, 1,500 or 2,000 words; sometimes I had to complete research reports, especially for psychology - some criminology classes featured group projects instead. I remember the first assessment, it was a statistics MCQs, also known as Multiple Choice Questions, with 15 or 20 questions on the programme we covered in the two weeks prior the quiz; I truly appreciated the fact all us students had the chance to complete some practice quizzes with feedback before submitting the official one.

In Italy we would have never done these kinds of tests, so at the beginning I felt lost and alone. Then I started receiving emails from lecturers saying that if students needed any help, they were there for us, we just needed to book an appointment with them. They always gave feedback and suggestions, and this helped me overcome my worries on assignments. Support not only came from lecturers, but from the University as well. Especially for first-year students, help can come also from Study Skills Plus, classmates and study groups.
On the other hand, support could also come just from being in a good environment. ARU is full of clubs and societies to join, but also offers help with finances and accommodation; there is also a Disabilities and Dyslexia team.

Things I wish I was told before attending ARU

Starting university in general is a huge step, but as someone who also started in January and during a pandemic, I believe I can offer some tips for any student who’s about to start ARU!

1. It is normal to feel lost, alone and confused, but you’re actually not! Just think about all the classmates you have in the room with you and understand that they are going through the same things as well. At ARU, Personal Development Tutors are there for a reason, as well as module leaders. Support is available in all corners. (It would be strange if the psychology department did not take into account people’s needs, right?)
2. Being on a course that includes both psychology and criminology classes could give some issues with the timetable, but do not worry. I’d suggest you contact the module leader before the beginning of the course and ask them to confirm the timetable. This tip is specifically for January starters, because they start their course in Trimester 2 instead of Trimester 1. Note: it is normal to have seminars at different times or days from other classmates, because it depends on the group each one gets put in, but normally lectures are on the same day for everyone.
3. Socialising is scary, but doable. Having studies half of the my degree in lockdown, I was super nervous when I had to actually speak with others in person. Then I started sitting in the first row in class, trying to trick my mind: not seeing all the others in the back made me feel like I was almost alone and in a couple of days I started having no fear asking questions of the lecturer, or checking notes with the person next to me. When we had to start creating groups in psychology seminars or in criminology classes, I felt already so much more confident that turning around and facing the other half of the class was not an issue.
4. The ARU library is huge, and students can study in it or visit to get books. Online books and articles are also used, especially on Google Scholar. Textbooks can also be bought, for sure, but it's not mandatory.

Pro tip: Organise your time! As soon as I started ARU, I started using Google Calendar religiously and it saved my life. I was able to include classes, gym, work, going out, study hours and more. I also used a trick to help me with my assignment due dates. Instead of writing down the due date on the correct day, I put it down one week before (and coloured it in bright red!): this allowed me to stay on track, never be late with any assignments, and have a whole additional week in case I needed more time to finish something.  Finding time to relax, decompress and enjoy personal passions is absolutely crucial to be able to perform well in studies and assignments.

I won’t add what I consider as obvious and logical things (such as that university is not only what you do in class, but also what you achieve in your own time while studying and researching).

I guess all my knowledge has now been shared, and I hope what I expressed might be helpful. I just wanted to conclude by saying that every person is different and every experience is going to have its pros and cons, but I believe that life only gives us what we can handle.

I wish you best of luck for your journey with ARU and your studies!

By Anna Cerchio
BSc (Hons) Psychology with Criminology graduate