“My situation was - I was the promoted to sales and marketing manager. This involved travelling a lot around the UK and my company encouraged me to get a recognised qualification to go with the work experience. Because of the travelling I could not commit to an evening class at a set night in the same place every week and this is why distance learning was ideal. This allowed me to study no matter where I was thanks to the study material and access to my tutors via the web and e-mail.

The enrolment and course selection process was very straightforward - just read through the prospectus and decide on which path you want to go on that meets your aspirations. In my case I started with an HNC in Business and Management three and a half years ago with the idea to progress onto HND and hopefully degree level – this is where I am at present. I was self-funded for the HNC & HND so the payment by instalments was very helpful. It also gives peace of mind that when you pay for your studies, then there in no other costs involved.

Study support was the biggest surprise. The tutors are very helpful and always respond quickly to help in every way. They don’t give the answers but encourage and advise on the best ways to learn. Networking with other students who are in a similar position is also very good. At the start you feel that you are the odd one out and that everybody must be cleverer than you – this is not the case. By networking the course becomes easier and is more enjoyable. I have found RDI staff to always be very helpful and supportive.

As there are many different modules to each course then I find that some of the modules you work on you really enjoy, others can be deemed as more of a chore. This is all down to the individual. As I said, networking with other students allows you to get through it together. I’m been able to expand my knowledge on all aspects of business. This allows me to put them into practice in my job which means both myself and the company get the benefit. These practices have already allowed me to have a better understanding of core business and management allowing me to have much more confidence in my abilities.