It’s silly, but I ended up in forensic science because of TV.  I know, it’s a complete cliche, right?

Well, okay, I didn’t end up successfully in forensic science just from watching TV.  I wish it’d been that easy!  I had to go to a criminal justice school, too, of course.  Actually, though, I loved the process that got me here almost as much as I love the work I’m doing.  Right now I’m only a lowly lab tech, but I still can’t imagine any field I’d be happier in.

I’ve always been kind of a science nerd, but it wasn’t until I got interested in crime and investigation that I seriously considered science as a career, which led me to apply to a criminal justice school. See, science intrigued me, but I’m just not the type of person who would thrive doing research.  Theory is cool, but practical application is where it’s at.  For a while I was interested in medicine, but something about that just didn’t click either.

But forensic science being used to catch criminals seemed perfect for me.  So I started looking at how to get into that career field.  I mean, obviously it’s not something you just apply for cold without qualifications.

The first thing I found in my research is that to be a forensic scientist, you need two things: a strong science background and a working knowledge of the criminal justice system.  I got my associate’s, which had a focus on criminal justice, from an online school.  Then I finished my bachelor’s at a traditional criminal justice school, where I was able to focus on my laboratory courses while still having plenty of options for my minor in criminal justice.

Going to criminal justice school was the best decision I’ve made… in fact, I’m thinking about going back, for my masters!