Introduction to Criminal Justice at Methodist University was a pleasant experience for me and has shown me so much not only about the criminal justice field, but more about myself and what I would like to do in my career. This class has shown me more of what this field of study includes and has helped me see that there is so much more to this profession than I thought. The course did a great job in showing different aspects of the career and how everything within the courts, government, etc help play into the overall scheme of how criminal justice works. Parts of the class that interested me the most was the chapter on drugs and the problems they cause police officers of today, and how forensic science plays into the picture of a criminal case. The chapter on drugs helped me to realize that drugs costs a lot of money to fight and give little reward, other than drug money and guns, to the police officers risking their lives to fight them. I think that drugs are something that can tear apart a community and can put many officers in danger when they go to fight them. Drugs like marijuana are already legal in two states and I don’t think it will be long before other states begin to legalize it just because of the costs it takes to fight such a popular drug like marijuana. The thing that probably intrigued me the most about the war on drugs is how it is fought on our nations borders and how much trouble someone would go through just to get it onto United States soil. I find it ridiculous that someone could be that dedicated to an illegal job and to put their freedom on the line by trying to smuggle something into the country. Drugs are something that are always going to be hard to fight and costs our country lots of money, but they play a big role in everyday policing activities. Drugs also contribute to a lot of the calls dispatchers receive across the country each and every day. Another aspect that can go along with the drug war is forensic science. Forensic science is a broad field that is constantly growing in an electronic dependent world we all live in today. Some of the tools used in this field are some of the most advanced electronic devices made to date and forensic technicians and specialists contribute loads of information to the criminal justice field across the United States. These people take fingerprints, deal with dead bodies, run tests on drugs, and help bring cases to a closing point in court and bringing justice to the deceased person in a case. Forensic technology is ever expanding and the need for people to work in this field is something that is needed now more than ever. I think this is one of the reasons that I have been drawn to a field like this is because I want to bring justice to people who deserve it and help make our community and this nation a better and safer place to live and grow up. There are many types of forensic specialists used on a daily basis to help do some of the most basic things of law enforcement and we also have some that deal with some of the most gory and gross things you will ever see. People are drawn to shows like CSI and NCIS, or Forensic Files because people want to see how the process of a murder scene works, but what they don’t know is that it’s nothing like what they put on tv. I am ready to explore this career field and find my niche so that I can better help this community and go a long way in law enforcement. Overall this is the most interesting course I have taken thus far at Methodist mainly because it has helped me see why I love this field so much, and because it has shown me that this is really what I want to do the rest of my life. By offering this course in the way that it does Methodist University has helped lay a solid foundation about this career and going forward it will really help me. This class has been an awesome experience and I have learned not only about criminal justice, but I have learned why it is important and why I absolutely can not wait to be apart of such a great field. I can’t wait to graduate not because I will be done with school but because I am ready to start my career and excel; hoping to make this community, state, and country a better place to live.