"I completed my HND in Business and Personnel in 1998 and did not go on to do the top-up degree, but I had always wanted to finish. A couple of years later I had my first child and thought about completing it through the OU but then had 3 more children, all very close to the first. When my youngest was 2, I started to look into finishing my degree, but going to a university was not an option due to time and cost. I looked into doing it at the OU but could never find the right course for me and it would take 3 years.

When my grandad died that year he left me a small amount of money, which I decided I would save and put it towards my degree. Whilst trying to figure out how to complete my degree in a way that would fit my children, I came across RDI. I must admit that I had never heard of them or whether they were for real, but after a number of phone calls to some very helpful people, I decided to complete my degree through RDI. I could do it within a year if I wanted, the course was just what I was looking for and you had a 30 day back money guarantee which was good, as some places did not offer that. I just had the right amount of money from my grandad to pay for it.

Studying with RDI

Throughout my studies and the enrolment process I found the support staff very helpful, I phoned them a lot throughout the whole time on the course, and it did not matter if it was big problem or small one - they were always happy to help. They were a couple of options of how to pay for the course, I chose to pay for a module at a time. Also I found it very good, how flexible the course was. It was one of the things that impressed me the most.

The tutors were very helpful and you could interact with them as much or as little as you needed. There were normally weekly forums for students and tutors so you could discuss your work and there were forums for you to share work with other students, or ask questions which students or tutors could answer. You could also email your tutor privately if you did not want everyone to know your problem. When it was time to do assessments I found all the tutors very helpful!

I have gained a lot from my degree. It had been a long time since I had studied and to begin studying again in the last year of a degree was hard. You have organise your time very well as there is a lot of work involved and you have to be disciplined to the work, as there is no one there telling you to do the work. It is not until you finish the degree that you realise how much time, effort and hard work you have to put in, but in the end it is worth it. I enjoyed most of the subjects which makes a big difference and the course is very flexible.

What next?

I am so happy that I have now completed my degree, as it is something that I had always wanted. In the next couple of years I will be looking at going back to work full-time and teaching is something that I am thinking about doing. It is so nice to know that when I am need to use it, I have got my degree, and do not need to worry about doing it again.

I would recommend RDI to anyone wanting to study who does not have the option of going to a university or college. It can be tough but you can fit it around work or family so for anyone who cannot afford to go to university this is a great way to get a degree as you can still work but do not have the cost of going to university - and at the end of it you get a degree from a recognised university!

...and as my mother always said to me: if I can do it, anyone can do it!"


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