I completed my access course last year and have just finished my first year at university.
Universities welcome mature students. I applied to 5 universities and I got offers from all but one of them (I was interviewed but messed it up).
I would suggest you start now to write a personal statement (do a search in this forum for more details how), you will be far too busy when your course starts to give it the time it deserves, and from the two interviews I attended it is clear that it forms a large part of their assessment. You might also find the courses and universities you want to apply for. This will also make your first few weeks of term easier.
As for the course itself, I did not find it easy, but I did not find it impossible either. I would suggest you need to be organised, need to manage your time well and need to plan well to keep ahead of your assignments. Only when I slipped behind did I struggle. The full time course is 15 hours a week, but for History, you will need to do at least 5-7 hours reading a week. I also did English and Politics, so needed about 6-10 hours a week for them. You need to complete 20 assignments, and at times they come thick and fast. You also need to find maybe 8 hours for writing and editing of each one. This will prepare you well for university, as the hours and demands are about the same, albeit at a higher standard.
We also lost about half to two thirds of the students on our course. People are often shocked that they need to do the work and while many feel they are committed, there is nothing like an essay deadline to show just how committed they really are. I also have to say I met many great people and keep in touch with most. I would also agree that if you survive until Easter, the staff will bend over backwards to get you through the course. I would suggest if you find before that you have a problem, talk to your tutor. Mine was brilliant and I cannot praise him enough.
You will no doubt find as I did, that the year will fly by, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. I would certainly recommend it to those who wish to get to university.