Teifi Price, TECH IRRV

I studied the Level 3 Certificate and I was nervous about attempting distance learning as I had not done any studying since school. After registering for the course students were invited to attend the Induction day and I was very pleased to have done so. It was a chance to meet other new students and one of the tutors and we were shown what help & support was available to us on the learning portal and ask some questions about how the distance learning course worked.

The study packs are daunting at first. They are big tomes that contain a lot of information and legislation but they are broken down into modules and contain test questions and tasks to help you revise and test your understanding as you go. I quickly found myself referring to them whilst at work as well as for my studies and I am certain I still will.

The IRRV also provide past examination papers and I would strongly advise anyone studying to have a look at them to see the style of questions which helped me focus my revision.

I studied during the coronavirus pandemic and so the usual pre-exam courses were held virtually instead of face to face classes, however I found these to be extremely helpful as it was an opportunity to engage with your tutor, ask questions and receive advice. The tutors also provided handouts with power point slides, information and revision tips to those that attended. I also watched all the webinars for each subject.

It is a lot of hard work and there were of course occasions where it did feel overwhelming. If there was one thing I should have done more of it was engage with the tutors as I only started to do this towards the end of my studies.

On the occasions I did ping an email with a question it was always responded to quickly.

There are other support tools available such as sitting a mock exam and completing the assessment tasks and questions which would be reviewed by tutors who would then give feedback and guidance.

I am certain if I had done some of these it would have helped me feel more prepared for the exams!

When you pass it is a great achievement and it has opened up career progression for me as well as boost my confidence in my day to day role.