Hannah Ritchie

Hannah Ritchie, a dedicated Criminology student shares the highs and lows of her transformative journey in the field of Criminology.

What brought you to the University of Cumbria?

I'm from Cumbria originally but applied for Northumbria as my second place. When it came to results day I ended up having the chance for both but chose Cumbria so that I wouldn't have to move away. Having said that, you can preview the courses online and the modules linked more closely to sociological theories than other unis. This was more attractive to me because I'd studied sociology before so it was familiar to me.

What’s been the most difficult obstacle you’ve overcome in your education journey so far?

Not comparing my education journey to other people's on my course. It can be really easy on results day when you're getting grades back from assignments or its a lead up to submission day and you're all frantically trying to reach the word count to be drawn into the pressures. I would stress myself out when people were ahead of me or knew answers to questions that I didn't know. It constantly made me feel behind. It's very hard to do, but I ended up just staying in my lane and (to some degree) blocking off conversations about assessments and things that I knew would lead to me comparing myself to others. It's my educational journey and we'll each cross the bridge at different times so extra pressure to 'keep up' was something i learnt to deal with.

What was the breakthrough moment for you when things began to fall into place?

Getting my first ever assignment grade back. In secondary school I was a very C/ B grade student. Not too bad, not too good either. When I realised that uni was all about independence and you're left to your own devices I was able to kind of let my brain go wild and by doing this... turned out I wasn't an average student after all. Just when you are put in an environment that allows you to flourish to your best potential, you'll then see the benefits.
When I totalled up my end of year grades in first year and saw what I'd achieved I got so upset because I finally felt, for once in my life, that I'd done myself proud. All the late nights and second-guessing if you're good enough to be at uni paid off and i could finally sit back and feel motivated about where I wanted to take my life now.

How have you found studying at the University of Cumbria?

I'm a lover of independent study so I've absolutely loved it. The Learning Gateway, which is open-access 24 hours a day is a lifesaver. In first-year I would go in on a Saturday & Sunday and just spend the day in the peace and quiet. Just knowing there is a space that is open-access for whenever you might find studying best for you, is amazing!
The lectures are small... this is second-to-none. The one-to-one help you get is amazing and the lectures get to know you personally and can instantly tell if you look confused and want some extra guidance. Most of my lecturers have had previous experience in different sectors before they came into teaching and the real world life experiences that they bring and tell us is perfect!!

What skills are you learning that are helping you on your educational journey?

I learnt, very recently, how to write an academic policy report. I would love to go into policy writing or report/ research and this years assessment has allowed me to trial this skill in an environment where there are skilled academics (some who have been policy writers before), who can give me guidance.

How is University life beyond your studies - friends, socials, accommodation/travel, etc?

In first year, I really struggled balancing social life and education. This year I tried harder to make social connections with people on my course and came out of my shell a bit more and have realised that you can juggle both but you need to be careful and have a healthy balance.
Travel - if you're travelling in (even just for a small 1 hour lecture) try and plan your day the night before. I would say "right, I'm going to get up at 8 and then I have two hours before lecture to do my reading". By planning your time, you won't feel like you're wasting money/ time travelling in and you can use the excuse of once you're at uni to stay and just crack out a bit more work/ reading so your time is well spent.

Top tips for people looking to do the same course as you

Honestly... if you're not sure.... just do it. I was very worried that this wouldn't be the right things for me because nobody in my family has ever been to university before and most of my family members don't understand why you need a degree as they are from manual labour backgrounds (being from Cumbria). But believe yourself that it won't just give you a degree it genuinely gives you so much more. It gave me confidence with emails, being a student rep and speaking up for others, creating links with lectures who can set you up with their connections. It gave me the urge to start being a volunteer and I found my first volunteer role through the Uni. This led onto my next volunteer role and so on. I met some lovely girls from the same course and established a society.. something I never would have dreamed I'd do! It's given me so much confidence that I am capable, I am good enough and that I am a smart girl despite what my secondary school thought I would do/couldn't do!!!
Don't let previous grades knock you down, take it as a fresh start and if (like me) you are a quiet independent person who pushes themselves and can keep track of yourself then this will be the best decision you will make.

I can't thank University of Cumbria enough for the person it has made me, my partner has commented about the change in my personality and I've got the passion and motivation back that work and school knocked back from me.

If Hannah's story has inspired you, take a look at our Criminology programmes.