Helen Smith - BA (Hons) Law and Psychology
I'd definitely recommend doing a degree at Derby. Everyone's really helpful and supportive. Not just the lecturers but also the other staff, such as academic councillors. I'm now on track to receive a first classification degree.
”Helen Smith studied Law and Psychology as a joint honours degree at Derby.
Choosing my degree
I decided to do a degree after I finished my A-Levels as I knew that I wanted to become either a forensic psychologist or a barrister, and I'd need a degree to get into this type of work.
I also thought it would be great for me as I'd get to meet lots of new people from many different backgrounds, and make new friends. Also, I love to learn, and so by doing a degree I'd have the opportunity to learn even more!
A Joint Honours degree
I wanted to combine two of my passions to create a degree I knew I would enjoy and which would keep my interest through three years of learning.
I chose to do Law as my major and Psychology as my minor because once I got into the programme I found that Law was where I had a vested interest. Due to the subjects I've chosen I've been able to apply skills learnt in one area to the other as well.
Interesting subjects and supportive lecturers
I've covered subjects in Law such as Criminal Law, the Law of Tort, Family Law, Public Law and Employment Law, along with many others. All of these aspects have been really interesting, even the ones that have dull titles! I've learned valuable skills in book research, essay writing and exploration of ideas.
The law lecturers are all really friendly. You feel that you can always ask them questions about anything, whether it is problems with work or just that you need someone to talk to. They make learning complex legal issues interesting and understandable.
In Psychology I've covered subjects including Research Methods, Social Cognition, and Memory and Perception. Psychology is a fascinating subject that can capture anyone's interest. The lure of finding out what drives people around us is a strong one. I've learned skills such as statistical manipulation, analysis skills and project research. Again, the lectures are always available should you need them for help and guidance.
The social scene
I've found it really easy to make new friends and I've found a great balance between socialising and keeping up with my studies.
I combine work and fun by doing as much work as I can in the time I spend at university and then socialising at weekends. University is a great place for socialising, the Student Union bar is amazing, good prices, a nice atmosphere and fun music and events.
Derby is a very student centred and always an enjoyable night out. The whole package of Derby and the university is worth every bit of hard work and energy that you put into getting a high quality degree.
And finally...
I feel that everything about my time at University has been rewarding. There were a few challenges to begin with such as learning how to write a proper legal essay, how to reference properly and how to critically review things to the standard expected by University and professionals. These were all overcome by the great amount of time and support all the lecturers put in to making all of us students feel at ease and capable. You really feel that they are working to make your experiences better and more rewarding.
I'd definitely recommend doing a degree at Derby. Everyone's really helpful and supportive. Not just the lecturers but also the other staff, such as academic councillors. I'm now on track to receive a first classification degree.
