It’s the end of the year and some might say the end of an era.  Not us of course, ADL is rolling on better than it’s ever been.  But it is still time to reflect back on the year that has come, see how far we’ve come in the past 12 months and, if you will but indulge yourself a moment, to pat ourselves on the back for our successes over the year.

And it’s important to do so!  Distance learners know this as keenly as anyone how important it is, when studying alone. You need to that ways to keep yourself motivated and raring to go.  That is why it is helpful to reflect upon your progress and to applaud that which you made.

Did you finish your course?  My heartiest congratulations and very best wishes on whatever you choose to do next!  But even if you didn’t, did you finish a module?  Even an assignment?  Each one is a step on the road to completion and moves you place closer to finishing your programme.  Nobody “builds a wall”.  Rather they lay one brick atop another brick and from the repeated laying of these bricks, the eventual wall takes shape.

It’s the same with everything.  Your assignments build up into your final diploma.  Your extra efforts at work build up into your career.  Indeed, ADL is putting its own bricks in place as we build up to a better 2016.  We’ve launched several new courses of our own, including our well received UK Wildlife Law course and a new Critical Thinking course.  And our office has expanded over the year with Davey, Tsoey and now Andrew joining the team.

Even your failures count.  Not everything we tried this year worked, but we’ve learned from our mistakes and are resolved to do better next time.  In the same way our students should be resolved to learn from their mistakes.  Didn’t get as good a mark as you thought?  Failed an exam?  Try to understand why that was.  Even if this is all you can do you’re still a step up on where you were before.  Remember, you’ve only truly failed when you give up and refuse to try again.  Success has to be worked for.

And with that, let me just wish you all from us here at the Academy of Distance Learning all the best for the New Year.  May you keep your resolutions and fulfil your dreams as 2016 comes upon us!

Until next time.

Daryl Tempest-Mogg

Director of Vocational Studies

Academy for Distance Learning.