Career pathway

I've received my AS results and have dropped a subject.
I now am taking Apllied science (modular), philosophy and ethics (modular) and English literature (linear)
I hope to study Criminology at university September next year and become a criminologist, or a detective.
However I have discovered that becoming a uniformed police officer is compulsory for at least two years before taking exams to become a detective.
Here I now have two problems. 1) I don't think I will be a successful police officer.
2) I know for a fact my parents will not be hsppy with me becoming a police officer, even though it is to become a detective.
Can anyone help? Or give advice? Or does anyone else have a similar problem? :/

I've received my AS results and have dropped a subject.
I now am taking Apllied science (modular), philosophy and ethics (modular) and English literature (linear)
I hope to study Criminology at university September next year and become a criminologist, or a detective.
However I have discovered that becoming a uniformed police officer is compulsory for at least two years before taking exams to become a detective.
Here I now have two problems. 1) I don't think I will be a successful police officer.
2) I know for a fact my parents will not be hsppy with me becoming a police officer, even though it is to become a detective.
Can anyone help? Or give advice? Or does anyone else have a similar problem? :/

Why do you think you won't be a successful officer?

And to the 2nd one... It's your life and you can't be held back by the fear of your parents. They might not accept your decision to join the police force, but they should support you. If not, then they have failed you; not the other way around sweetheart. If you believe becoming a police officer or detective will make you happy and it's what you long for, then why should anyone (inc. your parents) be in the way of that?

Do what you want to do and let anyone tell you otherwise.

You are correct, you have to work a two year probation period as a PC before being able to apply to any unit, whether that be CID, dogs or firearms. Realistically you're looking at 5 years+ before you could move on to some units due to experience/competition.

You should do whatever you want never mind your parents but you need to ask yourself why you think you wouldn't be a successful police officer and consider what things police officers see/deal with.
Could you deal with intense confrontation? Could you deal with seeing a body that had been hit by a train? Or search a decomposed/hanged body? Could you cope with the shift work and having days cancelled at the last minute? Also consider the low morale and the fact many officers are leaving and senior management don't usually care; would that phase you? Standing in the freezing cold for hours on end on yet another scene watch? Having practically zero support from members of the public, the government and the media?

Also bare in mind that the grass isn't always greener in CID as a detective. Look up "Why I quit the thin blue line" by Alex Stewart and you will see how he became ill after becoming a detective and found more stress in CID then he did on the frontline.

Basically do your research and think very carefully. It is very sadly becoming just a job now, not a career, where people are staying for 5-7 years before wanting to leave, and lots of older frontline officers with years of experience have had enough and are leaving too. This post has a "negative" undertone and I apologise but far too many people join without really considering how the job will affect them. Good luck.