Forensic Science student Mollie Hewish has visited the International Criminal Court and worked on mock crime scenes since joining De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) through Clearing.
“I was quite upset on results day as I hadn’t got the grades I wanted, but DMU was really reassuring and handled the whole thing so smoothly,” the 20-year-old from Tamworth said.
“The Clearing process was very simple, DMU was actually the first university I got in touch with and I was offered a place on the same day.
“Although it all happened quite quickly and I had to change my plans and go somewhere new, I felt so welcome at the university and felt at home straight away. I think the student accommodation helped too because it had such a homely feel, plus it was over the road from campus.”
Mollie knew she wanted to study Forensic Science in some capacity and she was relieved when she found the course on offer at DMU on results day.
She said: “I absolutely love my course, we get to study far more than I ever imagined we would. There’s always something new to learn because forensic science is constantly evolving as a discipline.
“We even have a mock crime scene house on campus. I can’t wait for one of our third-year modules where we go through the whole process of collecting evidence, analyse it in the labs and work with Law students to present the case in a mock courtroom.
“I also think it’s pretty interesting that I’m studying Forensic Science in Leicester, the birthplace of DNA profiling!”
For Mollie, the city of Leicester had a big impact on her decision-making process. The location was far enough away from her hometown to gain independence, while being close enough to pop back for home comforts.
She said: “Leicester is a great student city, it’s so vibrant and there’s always something going on. I like how compact it is with everything in walking distance, and the campus and accommodation are right in the heart of the city centre.”
Reflecting on her student experience to date, Mollie said: “The highlight of my university experience so far has got to be my DMU Global trip to The Hague in the Netherlands. We got to visit so many places while we were there, including the Peace Palace, the International Court of Justice, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
“It was fascinating to see that what I study on a forensic level impacts on a global criminal scale.”
Since the UK lockdown due to COVID-19, Mollie has helped to care for her grandparents and used the time to set up her own Etsy shop to showcase her crochet work.
She said: “When the university was forced to close, our lecturers uploaded all of the materials we needed online. They hosted online seminar sessions, which were really fun, and supported us through our exams.”
Excited to return to DMU for her final year, Mollie gave this advice to students who find themselves going through Clearing: “Don’t panic. Go and speak with someone you trust and talk through your options, then get on the Clearing website, find a course you will love studying and get on the phone to the university.
“It might not seem like it right now, but trust me, it’s not the end of the world that you haven’t gotten the results you had planned for. I’m so glad I came to DMU,” she said.
Posted on Thursday 16 July 2020