Awards of Achievement

It is never too late to pursue your goals, follow your dreams, take a leap, make that big change - Saffron Hardy-Hussain

Following some rather unfortunate personal circumstances, followed by a global pandemic, I was unable to continue with my secondary school education and obtain my A Levels after sitting my GCSEs. Despite attempting to complete them at a distance with the local college, and poor experiences with other, less satisfactory online providers, I could not do so. At 20, still possessing the almost overwhelming ambition I had to attend university as a teenager, I made the decision to explore alternative options that would get me there. I discovered the existence of an Access to HE Diploma in the process, one which would allow me to achieve this long-standing goal so long as I finished this course which, with its 1-year completion timeline compared to A Levels at 2 years, was highly appealing. None of the academic institutions near me, however, offered a course in the Humanities, particularly English Literature, which was the path I wished to pursue. Fortunately, after exhausting all, or what I believed to be all, possibilities, I encountered DistanceLearningCentre.com which has, and I say this with no exaggeration, profoundly changed my life.

The course itself is exceptionally well done. The resources are up to date, with a selection of suggested further reading in each set of materials and assessment briefs, as well as an extensive library to peruse, whilst simultaneously fostering a level of independence through autonomous learning and research that are underdeveloped, or not developed at all, with other preparatory courses or pre-university institutions of education. The flexibility of study, one which does require your adherence to self-directed sessions of learning, but does so on a timeline that suits you and can be completed around other obligations, such as work or family life. Developmental units are undertaken prior to subject specific work with the intention of preparing you for application to, and subsequent enrolment in, university; the correct referencing format and refinement of essay composition are taught, plus the entire UCAS process is explained in detail with slideshow presentations and video tutorials to accompany the information covered in these units. It is my belief that the Access to HE Diploma has, therefore, prepared me for the rigor of university where other areas of schooling have previously not, and that I would not be in the position I am today without DistanceLearningCentre.com.

DistanceLearningCentre.com has provided me with opportunities that I never dreamed I would be afforded, perhaps most notably admittance to my dream university with a place on my dream course, for I exceeded the grade boundaries and that which was asked of me. I am beyond grateful to DistanceLearningCentre.com for helping me to achieve these goals and restoring my belief that I am capable of not only pursuing such heights, but of achieving them too.

It is important to note, however that getting the grades that I have, or feeling as confident in my abilities as I do now, would not have been possible without the guidance of my wonderful tutors whose past, current, and future prospective students, should know how lucky they are, were, and will be, to have had these incredible women, and other brilliant tutors like them, guide them through the DistanceLearningCentre.com process and the Access course itself. From answering any and all questions that I had throughout my studies, regardless of how long they may have been or how seemingly silly they were, to never making me feel as though I was less intelligent or resourceful for needing help or advice. Persistently kind, helpful and encouraging during our interactions, my tutors always provided invaluable feedback that was both constructive and congratulatory for the pieces of work submitted, and ensured that I not only acquired an abundance of knowledge where my subject sets were concerned, but plenty about my own academic capabilities too. Thank you to them, and to the entire DistanceLearningCentre.com team, for everything that they have done for me, and for the standard of support and teaching supplied by them; one which has ensured the acquisition of prospects that I now have.

I could not recommend DistanceLearningCentre.com highly enough. My experience with them has been excellent, changing my life in such an inconceivable way that I will forever think fondly upon my time studying with them. They have proved to me, and I hope to many more people like me, that it is never too late to pursue your goals, follow your dreams, take a leap, make that big change. You won't regret it! (June 2023)

I thought I was perhaps too young to begin an Access to HE Diploma, however this was the best option for me in order to begin studying at university - Natalie Hargreaves

I cannot stress how thankful I am for having been able to study with the DistanceLearningCentre.com. Education has always been difficult for me as I've constantly struggled with my mental health; I am extremely grateful for the support I have received from my tutors, especially during more turbulent times.

As I was 18 at the beginning of my course, I thought I was perhaps too young to begin an Access to HE Diploma, however this was the best option for me in order to begin studying at university. During my time here, I have received an offer to study Law and Criminology and will begin this course in September.

Thank you again for the tremendous amount of support I received and all the queries answered - it was a pleasure to study with the DistanceLearningCentre.com! (June 2023)

Access Diplomas coupled with this establishment can open a plethora of opportunities for further education - Daniel Logan

Following the completion of my GCSEs I sought to continue forwards and complete my A levels. Unfortunately, however, I was forced to withdraw from secondary education due to mental health related conditions. Since then, I have been on a long road to recovery, that has now concluded with DistanceLearningCentre.com.

After 5 years out of education, DistanceLearningCentre.com reinstated the confidence needed to pick up where I left off, finally achieving my level 3 qualifications with an Access to Higher Education Diploma.

In the beginning, I admit I personally was somewhat skeptical of how an Access Course would hold up against conventional A levels, but do not doubt - with the additional aid and support of my tutor, I was able to achieve distinctions in all my units. I did the Medicine Access Diploma and have since received an offer from Bristol University for Veterinary Science. As such do not considered yourself limited for options, Access Diplomas coupled with this establishment can open a plethora of opportunities for further education. (November 2022)

I was so proud of myself ... This is only the beginning - Jazmin Moran

A couple of years ago I enrolled to do an Access to HE Diploma with DistanceLearningCentre.com as I wanted to study Paramedic Science. At first, I couldn't really see it being possible. I've had so many setbacks in my life (sometimes my fault and sometimes not) I didn't really believe I could do it.

I volunteered during Covid and then joined the Red Cross where someone, somehow believed in me enough to offer me bank work as an ambulance crew.

I always knew I wanted my daughter to have a different upbringing to the one I'd had and I was going to have to work really hard to ensure that. Finding the money for the course was difficult, I was living on benefits and scraping by most of the time. A lot of the people around me mocked me for wanting to change my life.

Somehow though I managed to keep going and I had contact with an organisation that really celebrated each time I managed to pass a module! My tutors were both supportive and honest with me and gradually I began to believe it might be possible to gain the marks I needed for a Uni place.

I wanted to give up when we had to move address four times and sometimes live with other people which made studying almost impossible. As time went by I caught the studying habit and somehow it started to feel more natural and I truly wanted to do my best 'Maybe I can really do this after all'.

When I'd exceeded the marks I needed for my conditional offer at Uni it was such a good feeling. I was so proud of myself: no-one else did the work - just me. No-one else paid for the course - just me. No-one can take it away from me.

I'm so grateful that I carried on despite the many obstacles in my way. I learned so much in terms of self-discipline, how other people can help you learn, how to self-organise, how to study, and on and on and on - not to mention I learned an awful lot about biology, psychology, sociology, etc.

My little girl tells me I'm a Super Hero and I give her a cuddle as we go upstairs to bed for a story set in the future.

Once upon a time, there was a woman called Jazmin - she was amazing and although things didn't always go smoothly for her she hung on in there and kept going! I have reminded myself through crippling anxiety that this is only the beginning and not the end. (June 2023)

I loved the flexibility of the course and the fact that I could work at my own pace - Vaibhavi Mistry

I was a mum of two teenage daughters, one of whom was suffering from postnatal anxiety and feeling extremely isolated. I had experienced being in the laboratory with the idea of becoming a scientist before, but there seemed to be too many hurdles in my way from the health perspective of things. My GCSEs were done in the early ’90s, and A-Level was missing in the subject of science, but I instead had business with no relation to science grades, so I was nowhere near what was required. I also have the experience needed in the laboratory but not the knowledge behind it to make any application stand out, so when the University suggested that I take the Access to Higher Education in Science course from DistanceLearningCentre.com, I was really thrown a lifeline. As this was online learning, I felt reassured that I would be able to continue studying no matter what was happening at work. As a laboratory support worker, I have the task of collaborating with WHO on a molecular Malaria programme, which goes out twice a year with a lot of background work, so dedication is paramount.

I took a leap of faith and began my access course in May 2021, aiming to have it completed within one year; unfortunately, I had become rather ill. Despite this my dedication to complete the access course was strong. I loved the flexibility of the course and the fact that I could work at my own pace after work and at weekends. In the past, I had really struggled in exam-style conditions, so the predominantly essay-based assessment style was perfect for me. I found the course content fascinating and relevant to my chosen field. This foundational knowledge really helped me during my university interviews.

I felt supported the entire way, from the very initial call that I had with my first tutor to the final email from my last. When I found myself having moments of self-doubt, my tutor was always there to remind me of my true ability. Despite being online learning, I felt a great sense of community within the Facebook group for students. I have been really impressed by DistanceLearningCentre.com's commitment to providing the best student experience possible, and it was great to be a part of that process.

With the support of my tutors and other students, I completed the course in 2 years due to health reasons, and continued with health battles, as I came to completion, I could see the “light at the end of the tunnel” and achieved more than the grades I needed to apply for university. I am due to begin my Allied Biomedical Science degree in September 2023 at the University of Westminster. Huge thanks to DistanceLearningCentre.com for their continuous support. (June 2023)

My biology, sociology, and psychology tutors are one in a million; they are patient, tolerant, responsive to calls and emails, encouraging, and supportive - Elizabeth Oluwole

I am a mother of four. I left schooling over a decade in my early 50s living in the UK. I desired to pursue a career in nursing and midwifery without any UK education experience, so I decided to undertake an Access to Higher Education Diploma in Nursing and Midwifery to gain nursing access. My goal to Become a nurse/midwife was not an easy task at all. Still, I came across DistanceLearningCentre.com online college, the leading online college for access to UK universities as recommended by most universities.

It was my first time studying online, and I doubted coping without seeing my tutors and having a one-on-one conversation. However, I found DistanceLearningCentre.com online study so unique as it is written in simple language, well expatiated, and detailed to the latter when concentrated for easy understanding.

At first, the flexibility of study was my utmost joy, and it allowed me to combine studies, work and home front affairs, leaving no stone unturned and meeting everyone at their point of need afterwards settling to study as well meet up with material and assessment deadlines.

The study website has many helpful links that are easy to navigate to acquire knowledge and experience, as the resources and study materials contain detailed teachings with experiences.

My tutors are unique and well-trained, and I owe them my gratitude. I found friendship in them, and they were always ready to listen and put me right. My biology, sociology, and psychology tutors are one in a million; they are patient, tolerant, responsive to calls and emails, encouraging, and supportive. They corrected me, ensured I got it right and understood every topic in my coursework. Today I am a much better person.

I am happy my course ended so well and all my assessments duly submitted; I have achieved all I set out for as this is a stepping stone looking forward to becoming a certified nurse/Midwife ready to help save a life. Every experience, invaluable tool, and self-confidence gained through DistanceLearningCentre.com cannot be forgotten because it has given me the privilege to be who I want to be. (June 2023)

I've learned from DistanceLearningCentre.com how powerful it is to have faith in oneself and that everything is achievable - Sumeera Qayyum

Due to personal reasons, I was unable to finish my A Levels. In addition to having dyslexia, I find it extremely difficult to comprehend or write about numbers. I attended a school where students with special needs were punished for not being able to succeed and their needs were not even acknowledged. Even though I had been struggling for 21 years in secret, I received an official diagnosis of severe depression, anxiety, and cPTSD in 2022. I was first reluctant to talk about mental health concerns since they have long been seen as a weakness. However, I've learned to turn my weaknesses into strengths and now believe that everybody has the right to reach out for help.

Despite my condition, as a child, I was constantly compared to others, felt sad and misunderstood, and lacked any self-esteem at all. I dropped out of school and went on to acquire a diploma in photography before beginning my career as a wedding photographer. After 12 years of working as a professional photographer, I reached my limit and needed help with my mental health. A fascination with the human brain's workings and the realization that everything in my life was a reflection of others and not myself commenced when I started attending therapy sessions. After 12 years of being away from school, I started digging deeper into the field of psychology and decided to change my career.

Even though I was really nervous when I found out about DistanceLearningCentre.com, I soon started to believe in myself. I received a call from the support team within an hour of disclosing my disability and mental health conditions, all they were concerned about was my well-being.

I had aimed to complete my diploma in 6 months and be ready for June moderation, yet shortly after the start of the diploma, there was a tragic death in my family of a loved one I was incredibly close to, leading my depression to return to an advanced state. I discussed it with my tutors and they were supportive. I finished the diploma approximately 4 months after submitting the mathematics unit. I was collapsing near the end of the course and had to face my fears of numbers again in the Psychological Practical unit. The statistics and numbers were daunting and caused anxiety attacks, but there was definitely no turning back and I achieved a distinction in my Practical unit. Due to my dyslexia, I had to use text-to-speech to go through the materials, which took longer, and I found myself in a race against time to finish the Diploma. When I initially downloaded the materials for the Psychological Practical, I assumed I'd achieve a Pass; however, the materials were incredibly useful and informative, and my tutor was always willing to assist me with prompt and detailed responses. For the very first time in my life, my tutors have taught me how to believe in myself and have been encouraging. I've achieved distinctions throughout, which was beyond my wildest dreams when I first started the diploma.

I've learned from DistanceLearningCentre.com how powerful it is to have faith in oneself and that everything is achievable. I've been accepted to university and will begin my path toward becoming a psychologist soon. My sole purpose in life right now is to support everyone experiencing difficulties similar to mine.

My story… has just begun (June 2023)

Studying an Access Course to HE whilst serving in the British Army has been a challenging yet rewarding endeavour - Alan Richardson

Alan Richardson has completed the Access to HE Diploma at an excellent level. He has been studying whilst serving in the Army. Alan has been in the British Army for 10 years as a Combat Medical Technician (CMT) in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He has been on multiple deployments to Afghanistan, Kenya and Canada. He has worked with many units including teeth arms units and is currently in an Instructor role training future Tri service (Navy, Army, RAF) CMT's which is both a time consuming and mentally demanding job, but equally rewarding as he trains the next generation of Medics.

Studying an Access Course to HE whilst serving in his current job role involved overcoming adversity as, the life of an Army phase 2 and 3 instructor involves long working hours, frequent deployments to complete our mandatory clinical and educational/Instructional competencies. Alan wished to further his education to enable myself to transfer to a different job role (Radiographer). He had to balance his family life alongside both my military duties and academic challenges. This required great time management skills and the ability to prioritise tasks effectively, especially during the last two months of his course as he was working full time in the NHS assisting with the staff shortages while continuing his clinical portfolio and competencies. He found it challenging to complete the course in under 6 months but by being resilient and facing the challenges that arose during the course he completed his Access to HE course in time.

Pursuing an Access Course to HE while serving required academic excellence as the course is designed for individuals who don't have traditional qualifications such as A-levels but wish to pursue higher education. Alan said that course was quite rigorous and demanding in places, requiring him to develop his critical thinking skills, research abilities and academic writing proficiency. He believes that by undertaking the course he has demonstrated academic excellence by consistently meeting high standards of academic performance throughout all of the units.

Studying an Access Course to HE whilst serving in the British Army has been a challenging yet rewarding endeavour for Alan, which improved his resilience, discipline and academic excellence. Thus, preparing him for his future university and new career course. By overcoming adversity and demonstrating academic excellence, he now has the ability to enhance his personal and professional development. (June 2023)

I learned so much that I will be able to apply to my course at university - Fadzai Tinarwo

After the birth of my daughter in 2020, I finally took the decision to pursue my studies. This decision came after many years of self-doubt, anxiety and reluctance. I knew I had to take that important first step, the time felt right for me and I am so glad I went for it. Before enrolling with DistanceLearningCentre.com, I did my Functional Skills Maths & English Level 2 and completed in 2021. In November that year, my journey with DistanceLearningCentre.com began.

Working as a Mental health support worker for some years, prepared me for the career path I was about to embark on. Having worked alongside skilled professionals such as Social Workers, and seeing how they applied their skills and knowledge to their work and how much they impacted people's lives really inspired me to pursue a career in Social Work. So, I enrolled myself on an Access to HE Diploma in Health and Social Care with DistanceLearningCentre.com.

The distance learning method was very convenient for me as I had a new born at home, and it was during the Covid-19 pandemic. Being a mature student, it was important that I did not feel under pressure, so this meant that I could study at my own pace and suitable time. I really enjoyed my course; the study materials were straightforward and easy to follow. The course content was very much relevant to what I will be studying at university. I learned so much that I will be able to apply to my course at university, such as essay writing, Harvard referencing, independent learning, meeting deadlines etc. My tutor was very efficient, supportive and helpful throughout. She supported me with my UCAS application and personal statement writing which I found quite daunting.

Halfway through my course, I experienced some personal challenges that affected my ability to focus fully on my studies and as a result, I failed to make moderation in June 2022. I felt really disappointed in myself and began to question my abilities going forward, I was on the verge of giving up on everything including my dream of becoming a Social Worker. I had lost all motivation and felt that I was never going to make it to university. Thankfully, I managed to pick myself up and carried on after taking a short break. I have to thank my tutor, for her patience and encouraging me during that difficult time. I also want to thank the student support team for their understanding and willingness to help find a way to resolve a matter I had brought to their attention. In spite of everything, I am happy to say I completed the course with more than enough UCAS points required for my Degree, I managed to achieve 42 Distinctions and 3 Merits! I am really proud of myself for having the mental strength to keep going and refusing to accept defeat.

I am excited for the future and looking forward to starting my Social Work Degree in September. All of this would have not been possible if it wasn't for the great support, I got from DistanceLearningCentre.com, I am truly grateful and highly recommended. My life will never be the same, I am finally going to university! Thank you DistanceLearningCentre.com for everything. (June 2023)