Nicole Nyamwiza

What do you do now? What do you enjoy about what you do?

I am currently undertaking a 15 month training programme with the National Probation Service, upon qualifying I will become a Probation Office, however whilst in training I am a Probation Service Officer. My day to day role consists of managing medium to high risk offenders in the community and in the aims of supporting them towards their rehabilitation. I enjoy working with a diverse group of people and being able to apply my theoretical understanding of human behaviour in practical settings.

What path have you taken to get there? Were there any particular areas of interest that lead to you specialising?

I studied for my undergraduate degree in Psychology & Criminology at Birmingham City University, I volunteered for a children and young people’s charity that aimed to encourage them to desist from criminality. After finishing my undergraduate degree, I studied for my MSc at City, University of London, and after completing this I applied for the graduate training scheme with the National Probation Service. My main area of interest are actually victims of crimes, however I felt that understanding the perspective of offenders would also enable me to work better with victims of crime.

Why did you choose to study at City, University of London and how has it helped you?

I chose to study at City because I had discovered that they had a good reputation as an institution and I wanted to study closer to home. Studying at City allowed me to have a professional mentor, and I found that extremely helpful as my mentor supported me through practical things such as applying for jobs and preparing for interviews. I also found my lecturers very supportive and helpful throughout my time there.

What did you enjoy most about your course?

Surprisingly, I enjoyed my dissertation the most. I had anticipated that it would be the most difficult part of the programme and it was the most weighted module, however it was a brilliant learning curve for me as a student.

What was the hardest part of your course?

I would say that the hardest part of the course was just the transition from being an undergraduate student to a post graduate student. Whilst you were still supported by lecturers, you were required to be much more independent and proactive in your learning and that was a bit difficult for me at times.

What was your favourite part of being a City Student?

I liked the mentoring scheme, it was really helpful and provided me with skills that I am able to apply in own career.

If you could give one piece of advice to a prospective City student, what would it be?

I would encourage them to engage in discussions in seminars as I found that really helpful. Postgraduate programmes tend to be much smaller than undergraduate programmes so you are able to build good rapport with your peers and are able to develop good discussions during seminars that are quite helpful for essays, so voicing your opinion in class is not as difficult as you tend to be in a close knit group.