Bethan Killeen

With the beach being seconds away, the great nightlife, and the city centre very close by, Swansea University was the perfect choice for me. I found the work and life balance at this university extremely appealing. My sister studied at Swansea University and had an amazing experience. This made me quite confident that I would enjoy my time at Swansea.

Studying at Swansea has allowed me to study both Criminology and Sociology in one degree. Criminology and Sociology at Swansea University is highly ranked and includes a range of interesting modules. In my second and third years I will have the ability to choose the majority of my modules. This will enable me to focus on my particular interests. I find Criminology and Sociology lectures extremely interesting; especially when the lecturers relate certain topics to real life scenarios. My course is really engaging and allows me to further my interests.

My lecturers so far have been great at explaining the content and making sure their explanations are concise. My current lecturer for the module of law, criminal justice, and human rights is especially helpful in the way in which they explain the content. 

The course is not too overwhelming and is quite flexible. My favourite modules have been Individuals and Society, Introduction to the Criminal Justice System, and The Sociological and Criminlogical Imagination. I have found the content in these modules to have been extremely interesting. I have furthered my independence, confidence, and responsibility this year. In university, it is your responsibility to attend lectures, learn the content, and complete the assignments. I have also greatly developed my essay writing skills, and will continue through practice and feedback. My essay writing demonstrates my understanding of the content. Gaining knowledge and being able to explain it is significant in order to help me progress in my career.

The Swansea Employability Academy provides a variety of helpful services including work experience, career advice, and interview preparation. I will definitely use the careers team in the near future in order to help me prepare for my future.

The seminars are one of my favourite things of my course as many different opinions are shared and we can heavily focus and discuss certain topics. Secondly, I really enjoy the modules that explain how society is affected by crime, and how crime is affected by society. Lastly, I like how enthusiastic all the lecturers are to teach the content. This keeps me really engaged and eager to learn more.

I love the beach at Swansea as it is a great place to go with friends to have fun and/or relax. Secondly, I like that it is a small city and you tend to see people you know wherever you are. Lastly, I really like the people I have met here. 

Swansea University has been the perfect choice for me in terms of the course I am studying and the work-life balance I was looking for. It has great support services, friendly people, and is located next to a beautiful sandy beach.