Nathan Lynch is a BA (Hons) Criminology student, who begins his second year in September 2024. Nathan applied for Leeds Beckett through Clearing after previously studying at a different university. In this blog, he talks through his experience of Clearing and what his course has been like so far.

Course: BA (Hons) Criminology

Tell us a bit about yourself, why you chose to study Criminology and what interests you the most about the subject area? 

When I was younger, I grew up watching crime dramas like NCIS and Law and Order on TV with my mum. This caused me to always be interested in crime and the legal system. Going through school and college, I had originally intended to go into forensic science but eventually ended up switching to being more interested in criminology and psychology.

I decided on studying criminology because I was interested in the reasons why someone would commit crime and what pathways we as a society could offer ex-offenders to help them remove themselves from criminality.

Can you tell us a bit more about why you came to Leeds Beckett through Clearing?

I previously studied at the University of Cumbria, Carlisle Campus, but chose to leave the university. I then started an application for Leeds Beckett, among others, but I didn’t have it completed as my reference got back to me too close to the deadline. So I wasn’t rejected beforehand, I just had an incomplete application. 

I joined the Clearing process to try and get a place. I called the Clearing line for Leeds Beckett as soon as lines opened as this was my first choice. 

How did you find the experience of applying through Clearing? Was it a straightforward process?

Out of all the admin I had to go through when applying to Cumbria and starting my second application for Leeds Beckett, being able to just simply call the university itself and ask if they could find a place for me was probably the easiest process I've experienced. All that was asked of me was to provide them with documents from my former university to prove that I had achieved a foundation degree, and with documents from college to show I had the qualifications I had claimed.

Do you have a standout moment from your time so far at Leeds Beckett University?

I've enjoyed my time so far with Leeds Beckett. My previous university experience was affected by the lockdowns in 2020, so to be able to fully interact with learning material and classmates in physical lectures has done wonders for my learning. 

For a particular moment, it would have to be the guest lecturers we had who came to speak to us during the ‘Intro to Criminal Justice’ sessions for our evaluation assessment. It allowed me to have a more in-depth idea of what I wanted to do with my degree. 

What advice would you give to someone who may find themselves in Clearing? 

The best piece of advice I could give to someone in a similar situation to me is to just get it done. Call the Clearing line as soon as you can and have your qualifications on hand, and with luck, your spot will be waiting for you. The university is an extremely welcoming place and you will not regret it.