Law and Criminology Personal Statement Example 2

In my life, I have dreamed of doing many things and becoming many different people. As a child, I wanted to be anything and everything. When I got a little older, I got a little more confused; certainly, I wanted to do something- I had an eye for art, a love of words and a strong sense of justice, but I never knew what to do with those things or how to juggle them.

Thus, art was an emotional outlet leading me to my present situation, doing a year long Art Foundation - a personal endeavor to enrich my artistic processes. The course's tight deadlines show that I thrive in stressful situations, whilst aiding my organisational skills and time management.

However, I've found something I wish to pursue not as a hobby, but as a career, and as such, the situation has intensified my longing to be involved in law and criminal justice. Perhaps art will even aid me in the legal sector with its often abstract, intricate explanations.

It is easy to slide into the educational cycle of natural progression, and I did just that. I picked A level subjects I enjoyed and excelled in, such as art and English literature, with the latter promoting my independent, analytical nature and written communication skills. I understand that my degree preference will require plenty of further reading and essay writing I also enjoy reading and writing on a personal level with my poetry being featured in the 2014 anthology “Ten of the Best”.

Along with these, my other A-level choice was sociology, a subject that piqued my interest despite knowing little about it. I never expected to anticipate the essays and class discussions as much as I did - particularly those revolving around the forms and functions of punishment for offenders.

I thank sociology for educating me on societal fundamentals, as well as the importance of cross cultural differences in law; being able to critically analyse these will surely benefit me in my degree, as will teachings on sociological, psychological and political reasoning behind criminal offences, giving me much theoretical insight into the criminal mind.

As such, my interest in both law and criminology was sparked, and I longed to learn more. Thus, partaking in my school's Bar Mock Trials as defense barrister extenuated my efficiency and ability to think fast and objectively.

Such opportunities inspire me to internally raise questions such as what makes a law a law? It is surely more than external imposition- internal moral codes can act as unspoken social laws to an extent, and as such, I am ever curious about the human mind, admittedly being an avid people watcher.

This curiosity, along with my verbal communication skills have been aided by my part time job as customer team member, teaching me to be a socially tactical chameleon, as well as a good judge of character, typically valuable skills to have in the legal sector. I realised this in Year 13, during a school visit to Styal prison- proving to be an educational and eye opening experience.

Thus, having recently read D Howlitt's “Forensic and Criminal Psychology” which highlights an innate dependence upon the adversarial narrative, I'm sure my communicative abilities will prove favourable.

Likewise, My work experience at Venture Arts also gave the unique opportunity to work with the mentally impaired, and I began to question when a person stops being accountable for their actions. As a result, I am interested in the correctional system, and would consider working in either the probation or prison services.

Overall, I am an ardent, dedicated individual with a lust for learning, wishing to pursue a degree to learn more about laws, their functions, as well as punishments for transgressing them.

What is so interesting about laws and law making processes is how ultimately fickle and flexible they are - what is right can easily become wrong, whether through the passage of time or cross culturally. It is in this cycle of societal progression and regression where law is at its most fascinating.