Everything You Need To Know About Access Courses

So, as you might already know, I completed an #AccesstoHEDiploma in order to apply to university for Dental Hygiene and Therapy.

An access course is a qualification you can do if you don't have the traditional requirements for university. They're available in a range of different subjects and are seen as an alternative to A-Levels.

Tip: Things can get a little confusing with access courses so be sure to check out whether the access course you're planning to do is accepted by the universities you are interested in. For Dental Hygiene and Therapy, there is often a stipulation for a certain amount of biology content and some universities do not accept distance learned access courses. Some also won't accept the course if you have completed A-Levels in the past 5 years. The best thing to do is to send a website link for your access course to your preferred universities and ask if they accept it.

I was working full time in a dental practice whilst I completed my access course so a distance learning option was the only real choice for me. However, you will also find most local colleges offer access courses.

I completed my access course through The Distance Learning Centre and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a distance learning course. I chose to study the Access to HE Level 3 Allied Health Professions Diploma, which I believe is accepted by all universities (that accept access courses) for Dental Hygiene and Therapy due to the high biology content.

Completing an access course by distance learning requires lots of commitment, self-motivation, and organisation. Thankfully DLC makes it really simple by only allowing you to access one module at a time, forcing you to complete it before moving on. Having a study planner is also brilliant for keeping up to date and motivated. DLC provided a template that worked really well for me. This is definitely a technique I will be adopting at uni. I've included a download below of my own version to help you guys!

Another great motivator for me was finding a "distance" study buddy. Through the student room, I got into contact with my now great friend Laura. It just so happened we were starting the same access course at the same time and both applying to DHT. We helped each other stay on track and successfully completed the course on time for moderation this summer. It was helpful to have someone to discuss challenging topics with but also just to have someone who was going through the same thing as me. I would 100% recommend checking out some student forums and Facebook groups to see if you can find someone you get on well with.

The academic content of the access course, I would say, is of a similar level to A-Levels. My access course contained much more coursework than exams, whereas A-Levels are very exam heavy. If you struggle with exams, an access course is likely somewhere you will be able to succeed, provided you are consistent.

I committed to around 2 hours of work four days a week throughout the eight months it took me to complete my access course. All I needed was my laptop and a notepad. Personally I didn't even buy a textbook. I would take myself to a café or somewhere reasonably quiet (as trying to study at home was too distracting for me). However, everyone works differently, so work out what kind of learner you are and plan from there.

Surprisingly, I didn’t give up on having a social life, but I toned things down a bit! Make sure you get your priorities in order but also remember it’s very important to have a balance and some downtime to relax.

Study Planner.pdf

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Blank Study Planner.pdf

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This is the study planner that I used for my access course. I have included a #download for both a completed version and a blank version. Depending on your course, you will most likely have to edit it. What I suggest is working out how many weeks you plan to complete the course in, and then work out how many credits you need to do each week. Then fill the planner in using the credit values to determine how long you should take to complete each assignment.

I hope you feel a little bit more enlightened about access courses now! Please feel free to send me a message if you have any questions I can help with.

Remember, #healthiswealth !

Lots of love,