Jenny Lee-Kearns: Studying Criminology and Sociology at University

After graduating from Christ the King Sixth Form College, Jenny was offered a place studying Criminology and Sociology at the University of Brighton.

She spoke to our Alumni team about life at university and her plans for employment.

“My A Levels were English Language and literature, Sociology and History,” she said. “College gave me the chance to grow intellectually and thus enabled me to continue it to do so at university.”

Yet for Jenny, college life wasn’t just about the grades. It gave her the life skills she needed to excel at university with confidence.

“At CTK I developed many interpersonal skills and transferred these skills into my everyday life at university.”

Life at university

“The highlight of going to university for me has been being given the chance to grow emotionally within a new environment where I have the freedom to be independent. It has been a challenge building meaningful relationships within university.”

The University of Brighton’s BA (Hons) in Criminology and Sociology is a joint honours programme that focuses on criminalisation, crime causation, crime control and the criminal justice system, and explores perspectives on the social world, linking the two to create a deeper understanding of both society and crime.

But what is jenny planning to do after she graduates from university?

“I want to acquire a TEFL certification which will help me to apply for teaching roles abroad,” she said. “I am to take a year out to live in Thailand for a year to teach English. I then want to apply for a graduate scheme for Merlin Entertainments.

Merlin Entertainments is an entertainments company which owns over 124 attractions, hotels and holiday villages across the world, so may be an ideal for Jenny and her love for travel. “Within Merlin Entertainments hopefully I will work my way up to a managerial role,” she said.

Finally, we asked Jenny if she had any advice for her fellow alumni about university: “Be open minded, keep your eyes open and enjoy yourself.”

Thanks Jenny, we wish you the best of luck in Thailand and beyond.