Success Stories
Success Stories of Students studying with ASW2 - Here are some of our publications showing how students have been successful with ASW2.
PRESS RELEASE
4 August 2007
ARMY ENGINEER GOES ONLINE FOR A NEW CAREER
You wouldnt think a Captain in the Corps of the Royal Engineers positioned in Iraq would find the time to study an AS Level in Chemistry, but 29 year old Sarah Edwards has done just that.
Motivation came in the form of army medics with whom Sarah worked closely during her seven years of army service. Early in 2006, inspired by the work of her medic colleagues, Sarah decided to say goodbye to a career in the army and retrain as a medic.
Sarah said: Having spent six years in the army, I was able to experience the medical profession in a variety of different theatres; both overseas on operations and, more routinely, back in barracks. The variety of the job really appeals to me, as does the compassion and utter devotion to their job that the medical professionals I met displayed.
Sarahs career change presented an immediate challenge. To gain entry to the Accelerated 4 year Graduate Medical Degree at Southampton University, Sarah needed an AS Level in Chemistry a mandatory pre-requisite. But with full time study out of the question and a demanding army role to work around, Sarah needed to find an alternative way to get her AS qualification.
By chance, Sarah found A School Without Walls (ASW2.net) during some research on the internet. As the UKs first and only purely on-line provider of A Levels, ASW2 offered Sarah the flexibility to start when she wanted and the ability to fit the study around her variable working routine in the army.
ASW2's easy access, online classrooms are available 24 hours a day, every day, from anywhere in the world via the internet, giving students control over when and where they study. An assigned tutor is with the student every step of the way and, using Skype technology, students are able to chat safely and securely with their tutors and fellow students at any time.
Sarah spent six months in Basra City in Iraq, first as a 2nd Lieutenant and most recently in her new rank as Captain, supporting the war effort in all aspects of mobility, counter mobility, survivability and general engineering.
Despite her demanding army career, Sarah, who now lives in Hampshire, managed to finish the AS Level course in just five months.
My colleagues in Iraq really admired my motivation to get home and start working on my Chemistry AS Level. It was difficult to get into a study routine at first because of my army role. I would have to ensure that when I had a quiet week I worked twice as hard. Initially I didnt believe I had enough time to complete the entire course due to my work commitments but as I got further into it I developed more efficient working practices and managed to have a final push before my exam. Luckily I had a weeks holiday due just before the exam and I got a lot cracked in that week!
Although Sarah is not yet sure which stream of medicine she wishes to pursue ultimately, she is looking forward to starting her University course this September and is grateful to the army for the support they have given her in helping her to reach her goal.
The army offers financial assistance to soldiers who wish to study on external courses both for soldiers who wish to stay in and also for soldiers who wish to leave. she said. Grants are available and I used mine to offset the course fees.
ASW2 also offers A Level courses in Biology, Chemistry, Computing, Economics, English Literature, Geography, Mathematics and Physics at A Level. Principal, Dawn Savage, commented: ASW2 is extremely flexible to everyones needs. Students are allowed to study at their own pace and distractions found in a typical classroom environment are eliminated.
ASW2's students, young and old, have very differing reasons for wanting, or indeed needing, to study online. For some, there are no suitable schools in their area. Others are caring for a relative and not able to attend school full time. Mature students wanting to have a change of career, climb the corporate ladder or simply improve their communication skills are also benefiting from ASW2's flexible learning facility.
Our hand picked tutors are very supportive and all communication is treated confidentially and complies with the Child Protection Policy. added Dawn. ASW2's individual learning plans ensure that students have all the support they need to ensure exam success.
Further information can be found at asw2
Article from Prima Magazine January 2008
Homework? Yes Please!
Studying isnt just for teenagers these women swotted over textbooks later in life, and in extraordinary circumstances.
I'm leaving my office job to work with animals
Nicola Robinson, 37, a city trader from London, juggled her high-pressure job in the City with biology homework.
Until last year, I was a trader in the City working for BP, I spent my days on he phone and computer, talking to buyers and sellers and watching the market.
My role was to buy and sell oil to make money. It was a mixture of exciting highs and total boredom, but it was a great job and my career spanned London, Melbourne, Chicago and Houston.
I'd joined BP straight after graduating, but after 17 years behind a desk in the corporate world, I decided Id had enough. I knew there was more to life than working 50 hours a week in an office, and wanted to do something more meaningful with my life. Id always loved animals, having ridden horses since I was a child. I now have my own horse, Aero, and a cat, called Herb, and I realised I wanted to incorporate that passion into my work. After looking into various animal-related career options, I realised Id need a biology qualification, so I decided to combine my day job with an A Level.
I decided learning online was the best option, as I could fit it in around work. But the course wasnt easy it was a big effort to sit down n the evenings and study after work, especially after long, tiring days in a demanding environment. There were definitely times when collapsing on the sofa was a far more tempting prospect than hitting the textbooks. I usually spent either Saturday or Sunday studying, too but I made sure I took a break to go a run or a bike ride, or just get some fresh air. It didnt impact my social life that much, because Im beyond the stage of wanting to go out and party every night. My friends were all supportive, although some of them thought I was nuts! My boyfriend, Ash, whos 43. Was a great help too, keeping me motivated when I felt like it was too much to manage.
I was so relieved and happy when I found out I[d got an A in the exam all that effort was worth it. I decided to take a career break, and completed some work experience at a few vets and the livery yard where I keep my horse. Ive returned to my job in the City temporarily, but its my intention to leave within a year to follow a new career path. Im not sure what it will be yet all I know is Id like to work in the outdoors, and working with animals would be even better. The decision to give up a highly paid job and step into the unknown is a bit scary, but I think the job satisfaction will more than make up for less earnings.
The biology course made me realise that I actually enjoy learning new things and that my brain cells havent suffered too badly in nearly 20 years of working life. Its opened my eyes to new options, and Ive realised that now is the time to grasp the opportunity and change my life for the better.
Im flying high with confidence
Jo Rickard, 30, from Chichester, West Sussex, combined English Studies with her job as an air hostess. I quit school after GCSEs because learning just didnt interest me. I became an air hostess a few years later and immediately fell in love with the lifestyle. I was flying around the world, working up to 90 hours a month and living in busy apartments with friends. It was tiring but I had more free time than in a nine-to-five job, I had a fantastic social life and great friends, and I was having a ball. The fact that I hadn't finished my education didnt make a difference.
Then, during my twenties, I had several conversations where I felt my ignorance - one time, I got something wrong when chatting to a new acquaintance at a part and felt really embarrassed when someone pointed out my mistake. It was just a silly slip=up, but over time I realised Id missed out by leaving school. In January 2005, I decided to something about it. I looked into online courses and chose to study for an AS, the first half of an A Level course in English. I set myself the challenge and wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I paid a bit extra for a company offering personal tuition as well as online material. When I told my friends and colleagues about my decision, they were really impressed.
It wasnt easy juggling study with my work as an air hostess, thought there are factors like jet lag and fatigue involved when flying that you cant really plan for. I took my books and my laptop with me when I was flying long haul. Studying in hotel rooms during stopovers wasnt much fun, and I felt boring to have to decline invitations from friends to go out. I did have moments when I felt like dropping the books and going out with my friends, and at times I wondered whether I would ever finish the course, but I just kept on focusing on my goal, telling myself it was for my own personal development and that got through. My friends were also a fantastic support all though my studies.
I've finished my AS now and did a lot better than I expected. When the results came through, I really felt like Id achieved something. Now Ive moved on to the second part of the A Level course which I am due to complete in June, and I have so much more interest in studying than when I was a teenager I even read books that arent on the syllabus!
The course has completely changed my life. It has boosted my confidence, developed my vocabulary and made me realise I can do whatever I set my mind to. Learning for me isnt about a career, its for my personal development. I used to feel like I was barred from an elite educated club, but now I can hold my own in conversations and I have something new to talk about. Its awakened my curiosity for life and now I absolutely love studying Im even considering doing a degree after my A Level. I'd recommend it to anyone at any age it's never too late.
I served in the army while studying to become a doctor
Sarah Edwards, 29, who lives with her husband, Jim, in Andover, Hampshire, studied chemistry while she worked as an army captain.
Rumbling along in the back of a tank, with the shouts of fellow soldiers all around me, I had a nagging feeling I just couldnt shift I hadnt done ay chemistry homework. An odd thought for an army captain. Maybe, but my life as a soldier had taken a very different turn in reent months, after Id decided to re-train as a doctor. Due to the demands of my job, I was studying online from wherever I was in the world.
When I started training at Sandhurst at 22, I thought I'd be in the army forever. Every day was different and I travelled all over the world, from Kenya to Antarctica. I even met my husband, Jim, now 29, during training. I also served in Belize and Iraq, and during this period, my feelings about my job changed as I watched the army doctors at work, I found it incredibly inspirational, and one doctor in particular, Paula, became a close friend and mentor.
I already know a little about the amazing work these doctors did, but I learned so much more from the long talks Paula and I had. She described the emotional highs ad lows of the job. Of bing first on the scene after an incident, performing emergency treatment alone on the injured, and taking responsibility for decisions that could save lives or cost tem. It can be traumatic but also very fulfilling work. Being able to help people who are sick or injured and make a crucial difference to their lives appealed to me. I felt what I can only describe as a calling and decided to become a doctor.
I soon realised becoming a doctor is a long, drawn-out process and had my heart set on studying at Southampton University, so I could stay at our home near Andover. When I was told I'd need an A Level in Chemistry, I logged onto the internet and found out about long-distance learning courses. I came across A School without Walls (ASW2), an online school that promised to be flexible. I needed to fit the course into my unconventional life, as I was still working full-time for the army.
After a long day practising manoeuvres, the last thing I wanted to do was sit down and learn about chemical reactions, but I had to be strict with myself. When I was on exercise, operating out of the back of a tank, I couldn't take my chemistry textbook along with me, so I had to work doubly hard at other times to make up for it.
I had to do work experience to prove my commitment to the university. In my holidays, I did placements with social workers, at a hospital and at my local GPs surgery. I also had to do lab work sessions in London, but I did everything else online. Luckily, I had a weeks leave before the exam I crammed in a lot of last-minute revision. Jim was really supportive, taking over the housework so I could study. When my results arrived, I was on duty in Canada Jim wrote to let me know Id got a B and I was chuffed to bits.
When I started studying medicine at Southampton last October, I knew I'd miss the camaraderie of the army and was nervous about the workload, but excited, too. We still have mortgage to pay, so I've launched a wedding photography business. Sarah Edwards. I havent decided what I'll specialise in when I'm qualified, but in the meantime I just feel lucky to have the opportunity to learn again so long after I left school.
