Criminal Law Personal Statement Example

Advanced Higher Modern Studies in my final year at secondary school. Over the duration of the course I became deeply interested in the way crime and disorder influence the society we live in. In particular, the ways in which the upbringing of young people so greatly influences their future prospects.

During my last two years at secondary school I was selected to participate in the Mark Scott Leadership for Life award. The Mark Scott Foundation was set up after the death of Mark in 1997 in a sectarian attack. The week long course is based at Outward Bound Scotland's centre at Loch Eil and is followed by a three, one day long community events organised and funded by the participants including myself.

The award entailed working with people from other schools who I had never met before of the best part of a year, I felt it was important to try and create a relaxed working environment and establish good communications.

By giving up some of my spare time to embark on this extra curriculum programme I feel this shows I am an individual who ceases any new opportunities given to me and since completing this award, I applied for and was successful in becoming the Outward Bound's new gap student.

One of my duties as the gap student is to compose, edit and publish their bi-monthly newsletter which has the added personal benefit of enhancing my IT and language skills. As an assistant outdoor instructor for Outward Bound Metro and being a responsible and mature individual I took it upon myself to gain what I felt to be vital life experience working with young people in more deprived areas of Glasgow, prior to hopefully beginning a course in criminology at university.

It was while working with these young people that I began to appreciate how several different factors including alcohol, drugs, poverty and the lack of proper education could damage their chances of being successful in life.

I have a great passion for outdoor activities and enjoy an exciting and healthy lifestyle. This has been enhanced during my time with Outward Bound and I feel that I have been extremely fortunate that I have been given the opportunity to assist in such a personally challenging and rewarding gap year.

Through the experiences described I have broadened my perspectives and have become more aware that there is undiscovered potential within young adults such as those who were not able or did not have the support to be able to remove themselves from their unfortunate backgrounds.

My gap year experience has only reinforced my wish to study criminology as a means to develop a far greater understanding of these underlying issues and their social implications, with the ultimate aim of being able to work with offenders and maximise their potential.

As for where I wish this degree to take me as a career I have not yet chosen. Keeping my options open for the time being will allow me to explore the different niches that this degree would open up to me. However, I strongly believe that the personal qualities I possess and my enthusiasm and interest in law will lead me into a career where I can thrive on new challenges and use my knowledge of the criminal justice system to empower individuals.