Tomas
Catherwood

Why NTU?

What inspired you to study your subject?

"There has always been a connection with the police force within my family so when looking at what routes I could go down this seemed to be the perfect choice. This course also led on from what I had studied in college (Public Services), enabling me to increase my knowledge of the subject and push myself further academically.

This course was also one of three routes in which you could join the police and it seemed to be the best route for me personally as if I chose to not have a career in policing I would still have a degree that could be used to ascertain further job opportunities."

Why did you choose your course and NTU?

"I chose to study at NTU because of the experience the lecturers had in the police force. Knowing that I wasn’t just being taught from a textbook and instead was getting insight from real-life situations that they had faced that fitted hand in hand with the topics they were teaching was a real selling point for me.

Another reason I chose to come to NTU was because of the location of the University, it was far enough away from home to feel independent whilst being close enough that I could go home for the weekend if I wanted to."

What’s your experience been like of your course so far?

"One of my highlights was when we went to the crime scene investigation rooms, this gave an insight into incidents that you could face as a police officer and being taught what exactly what to look for and what evidence could be collected was fascinating.

One thing I won’t forget was the final meal out consisting of all the lecturers and students, it was the final goodbye until graduation and was a great way to finish our time together at NTU.

However, my greatest highlight was when writing my dissertation. My topic was a personal journey as I had a family collection with the author of the book which was a key aspect of this work. Throughout the period of reading for and writing this report, my supervisor seemed to share my passion for this topic and gave me a huge amount of support, pointing me in directions to sources and authors that would become very useful in the research for this work."

Have you been involved in any projects or extra-curricular activities that have supplemented your studies run through NTU?

"Whilst at NTU I played rugby alongside my studies, this helped me to keep a healthy work-life balance as I had to go to training and to the games so gave me time off from Uni work. Being part of this society enabled me to meet so many people and create friendships that will last a lifetime."

What does Social Sciences mean to you?

"Social sciences play a huge part in being able to understand people and situations that they may face, this is especially important when working within the frontline services. The knowledge I have gained on the topic whilst being on this course is invaluable and I believe it can be used in day-to-day life as well as professional life, I will therefore strive to use this understanding wherever possible."

Support

What do you think of the support available from tutors and staff at NTU?

"The support you receive as an NTU student is second to none. This isn’t just from the lecturers but also from the other services provided by NTU, whether that’s social well-being or helping you build a CV. The constant updates on workshops that are going on over the next week to being able to have 1 to 1 meetings with tutors and supervisors really gave me the best chance to work to my best potential and without it, I don’t believe I would have achieved so much."

Outside of the Lecture Theatre

Did you find it easy to make friends and settle in at NTU?

"Yes, there are lots of student events put on in the first few months of Uni enabling you to meet a huge amount of people. Being stuck in lockdown for the first year did make it harder to create friendships however as soon as we were allowed out it was very easy. Going to university to lectures or joining a society really helps you to meet people and create relationships."

The Next Steps

What’s next for you after NTU?

"Currently, I am waiting to start my new job and enterprise rent-a-car as a trainee assistant manager. This is a different route from the one I had planned when starting at NTU three years ago, however, this was the best path for me, and I am excited to start this new journey."

How is NTU helping you to achieve your career goals?

"Using the resources provided through NOW by the employability team I was able to create the best-looking CV I could, making sure that I had included everything that was expected in a CV and more. They would also hold job fair events allowing me to go around talking to employers and getting a better understanding of various professions and being able to see whether I felt I’d be suited to it. This gave me the confidence to go down the route I have done."

Advice

What top tips would you give anyone thinking about studying your course at NTU?

"The most important thing to do when studying at NTU is to take advantage of everything they have to offer. Don’t be afraid to contact lecturers if you’re struggling with a topic or are unsure of how to reference, they are there to help. However, the best thing you can do is get out and enjoy being a student, NTU has so many societies you can join and this can create so many experiences you wouldn’t get without this."