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This course has shown me that academic success is not simply a reflection of intelligence as it is also influenced by perseverance, the willingness to ask for help, and the ability to respond positively to setbacks - Amber Greener
Studying an Access to Higher Education Diploma in Medicine with DistanceLearningCentre.com has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences I have completed. Choosing an Access to HE course allowed me to change the direction of my education and work towards my long-term ambition of progressing into higher education and a career in veterinary medicine.
Completing the course through DistanceLearningCentre.com added another dimension to the experience. Unlike traditional college-based education, where students attend in-person lessons, distance learning required me to take greater responsibility for my own education. I had to organise my time, motivate myself, meet deadlines, research topics independently, and remain committed even when studying became difficult.
I believe the course developed far more than my knowledge. It has strengthened my independence, resilience, organisation, and confidence. It has also given me a much clearer understanding of what will be expected of me when I progress to university.
The decision to return to education through an Access to HE route was a relatively simple one for me. Having previously attended university, I realised that while I enjoyed the course, it did not provide me the pathway to study Veterinary Medicine. This course represented a second opportunity to pursue a goal that I may not have been able to achieve through my previous educational pathway.
Veterinary Medicine requires academic ability, commitment, communication skills, and a desire for continued development. I did not want to approach the Access course simply to gain a qualification that would allow me to attend university. I wanted to use it as an opportunity to establish whether I was capable of working at the level and intensity required for the next stage of my education. At the beginning of the course, I was aware that returning to education would involve challenges. I had concerns about whether I would be able to manage the workload alongside a full-time job, understand complex material and maintain my motivation over an extended period because of my ADHD. These concerns were particularly relevant because distance learning meant I could not rely on physically attending a classroom to create a routine, and I had to rely on personal discipline.
One of the biggest adjustments was learning how to study independently. Distance learning initially seemed attractive because of its flexibility. I could study from home and organise my work around other responsibilities. However, I quickly discovered that flexibility also comes with responsibility.
I completed secondary school during the COVID-19 lockdown, and I found the lack of rigid structure and the blur between personal life and professional life difficult, as work was completed from home. I knew this would be a struggle for me to find a balance, particularly with my unmedicated ADHD, as being able to study at any time does not necessarily mean that it is easy. I had to learn that waiting until I felt motivated was not an effective strategy. I learned that effective time management is not simply about creating a timetable; it is also about understanding my own habits. I had to identify when I worked most effectively, how long I could concentrate before needing a break, and which tasks required the greatest amount of effort. This self-awareness became increasingly important as the course progressed. Because of this, I became more organised. I began breaking larger assignments into smaller tasks and setting myself personal deadlines rather than relying entirely on the official submission date. This reduced the risk of becoming overwhelmed at the workload and made it feel more manageable. This was also effective when I was unable to do work for extended periods, such as when I completed work experience in Africa. Keeping my own deadlines allowed me to not fall far behind when I returned.
One of the mistakes I made early in my studies was underestimating how much time some tasks would require. An assignment could appear relatively straightforward at first glance, but after researching the subject, I often discovered that there were multiple concepts that needed to be understood before I could complete it. This taught me the importance of planning. I began to approach assignments by identifying what the question was actually asking, researching the relevant material, making notes, and then writing the assignment. This approach helped me to become more efficient.
The scientific content of the course has been the most intellectually demanding of my education so far. Studying topics related to biology, chemistry, physiology and health required me to engage with concepts that were new to me. I found some terminology difficult to understand and that solely reading content was not always enough. I needed to use different methods of learning, including watching material, revisiting difficult concepts, and explaining ideas to myself in simpler language to then replace it with the correct terminology. One of the most useful things I learned was that struggling with a topic does not mean that I am incapable of understanding it; I have just not yet found the right way to approach it. This changed my attitude towards difficult subjects. I began to view difficulty as part of the learning process instead of a reflection of my self-worth or capabilities. Medical education involves an intense amount of information, and it would be unrealistic to expect myself to understand every concept immediately. Developing the ability to recognise gaps in my knowledge and actively work to address them is a skill that will remain important throughout my future education.
Assignments were a key aspect of my development and receiving feedback was sometimes difficult, particularly when I had invested a considerable amount of time into the content. However, I learned to view feedback as an aid for development rather than criticism. There were moments when external feedback highlighted areas that I had not recognised myself. This encouraged me to become more reflective about my work. Rather than simply asking, "Did I pass?", I began asking, "What can I learn from this?". I began to recognise that academic development is not necessarily about getting it right the first time but about identifying weaknesses and responding to feedback to improve.
I believe this attitude will be particularly important at university, where assignments and examinations will be used to test my understanding and will inevitably highlight areas of knowledge that need development.
Although distance learning can feel isolating compared with traditional classroom education, tutor support played an important role in my experience. Being able to communicate with tutors when I was uncertain about an assignment or a particular topic through email or Teams meetings provided reassurance. I had to become more confident about asking for support. When studying independently, it can be tempting to spend time struggling with something without seeking help. I learned to break that habit, and I realised that asking for clarification is not a sign of failure; it is an important academic skill.
This experience has made me more comfortable acknowledging when I do not understand something. In a future medical environment, where mistakes or misunderstandings can have serious consequences, seeking appropriate advice will be essential.
Perhaps one of the greatest challenges of distance learning was maintaining motivation over a long period. At the beginning of the course, motivation was relatively easy due to the novelty of the goal and tasks. As the course progressed, however, there were periods when the workload felt repetitive or exhausting and there were times when I questioned whether I was capable of completing the course successfully. I learned that progress does not always feel significant while it is happening and can just be something as simple as coming to terms with a new concept or completing one assignment question. They may not seem important individually, but these small actions accumulate over time to create something greater.
I can see significant personal development when I reflect on how I approached education at the beginning of the course compared to how I approach it now. I have become more independent and confident in my ability to learn, and I am also more comfortable with academic challenges. Perhaps most importantly, I have developed resilience. This course has shown me that academic success is not simply a reflection of intelligence as it is also influenced by perseverance, the willingness to ask for help, and the ability to respond positively to setbacks. There were moments when I found the course difficult, but those experiences ultimately contributed to my development and demonstrated that I could continue working towards a goal even when the process becomes challenging.
Although I consider the experience overwhelmingly positive, there are aspects that I would approach differently if I were starting the course again.
I would begin with a clearer study routine rather than waiting for that to become an urgent necessity. I would also allocate more time to assignments earlier in the process rather than occasionally underestimating how long research and writing would take. Most importantly, I would remind myself from the beginning that it is normal to find the course difficult and expecting every aspect of the course to be easy would have been unrealistic. Particularly, since I have previously attended university, it was humbling to see just how much I had yet to understand, but the difficult moments were evidence that genuine learning was taking place.
Overall, studying an Access to HE Diploma in Medicine through DistanceLearningCentre.com has been a significant experience both academically and personally. The course has challenged me to become an independent learner and has required me to develop skills in time management, research, scientific understanding, academic writing and critical thinking. More importantly, it has challenged me to become more resilient and reflective. Distance learning has required a level of self-discipline that I may not have developed to the same extent in a traditional classroom environment. I have had to take responsibility for my own progress, organise my workload and continue working even when motivation was low.
I have learned that progress does not happen without effort and that setbacks do not have to prevent me from achieving my goals. Most importantly, the course has changed my perception of my own abilities, and I now feel more prepared for the demands of university. I began the journey with doubts about whether I was capable of working towards such an ambitious goal, but I now have greater confidence in my capabilities to learn, adapt and persevere. I would say my greatest accomplishment of completing the Access to HE Diploma was not simply the qualification itself but the personal growth and development I have achieved.
