A law enforcement journey

Julia Kapofi
I am Julia Kapofi, a first-year criminal justice in correctional management student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology. Studying criminal justice in correctional management was not always my first choice and never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be studying this course; however, it has been an adventurous and super fun journey thus far.

My dream since childhood was always to study law and obtain that LLB, so studying criminal justice in policing was always a second option because it is law-related and it would still pave my way in the law enforcement industry.

My university experience so far has been a roller coaster - coming out of high school and getting into a new environment has been quite challenging, especially getting to know new people. Additionally, switching to a blended mode of learning took quite some time to get used to, not forgetting those assignments that can make such a huge difference to your end-of-semester grade.

Another challenge was not knowing where to go exactly because I did not attend final selection and get to tour around the school. I am a part-time student and had to get used to going to school from 17:00, which was different from high school as I would attend classes from 07:00, but as time passed, I actually started to love it, because I don’t have to get up so early - especially during the winter.

The greatest part about studying criminal justice is that I learn more about crime and how it occurs as the course has modules which look into criminological theories. Furthermore, looking into these theories, I’ve learnt how to be vigilant when it comes to crime. I don’t regret the choice I have made at all. Though I had so many doubts due to so many voices around me, this journey has been amazing. I have definitely grown to love it and it’s genuinely something I’m happy doing; however, studying law remains a part of my life journey.

This journey taught me that you will not always get what you wish for, but how you build from there and pivot is what will make your journey worthwhile. Your downfall does not mean the end of the world, but what you do after falling is what creates that legacy.