I've completed my access course with great grades and have been accepted onto my first choice of uni for September, but reading the OP and some of the subsequent comments panics even me!
Panic doesn't help most people.
I'll share a bit about me so people can grasp what's possible with the right advice.
I started my access course (access to nursing and allied health professions) as a single parent to a 5mo. I needed 30 credits at distinction, 15 at merit and 15 level 2 credits to get into my first choice uni. I achieved 36 at distinction, 9 at merit and passed my level 2 units.
I know about a dozen people who've attempted access course...the pointers I'll give below are based mainly on my experience but I know most of those people would agree with me.
- If you already have full time commitments (children/work/etc) then distance learning around them is very practical but you really must be prepared to put the time in. You can't leave your assignments to the last minute if you want a decent mark. Your social life will suffer. So will your sleep.
- Be aware of what exactly is expected of you. "I didn't know" isn't going to help once you've missed a deadline. If you suspect you don't have everything you need from your tutor, chase them.
- Micromanage yourself. If you're not organised by nature then you really do need to put more effort in.
- Colleges have good and not-so-good tutors, just as any profession varies. Don't dwell on the injustice of getting a tutor who doesn't give a damn...you don't have the time to wait for them to develop a work ethic. If you're not getting what you need, escalate it as high as it has to go until you do.
- If you need merits and distinctions, you absolutely must do your own research beyond what information you're given and you need to be able to write about this in a way that shows you have a good understanding.
- If you're not given it upfront, ask for copies of the criteria you need to be working towards for each assignment. This will be split into pass/merit/distinction levels. Do this before you start writing. It'll help you stay on-point and structure your assignments.
- Getting decent grades on an Access course requires a lot of determination. Getting lazy for a few weeks will really hurt your chances. If you've got holidays booked, ask for assignments that start during that time beforehand so you can get a head start and be on track when you get back.