Rebecca Bobo
Puyallup, WA
Excelsior College®, Associate of Science in Nursing
“With The College Network® program, you don’t have to travel at the speed of the slowest person in class.” That’s how Rebecca Bobo describes her experience of earning her degree through distance learning.
Rebecca earned her Associate of Applied Science in Nursing from Excelsior College® in December 2008, about 14 months after she started her program. Moving at her own fast speed, she completed 11 courses while working full time. Married with two adult children, Rebecca was an LPN for 16 years before earning her RN license and AASN.
“When I first went to LPN school, my husband was deployed overseas, and I needed a position where I would be able to find a job when we moved. They always need nurses, so it worked out well,” said Rebecca. “I wanted to earn my RN, but we moved about every three years, and with the waiting lists, I could never start a traditional RN program.”
“I tried some other programs, but I had no idea what to study, and it took forever. I was looking for a better way to study. I found The College Network and one of the reasons I chose it was because of the Comprehensive Learning Modules™. They are written by professors who teach the classes and include the information you really need,” said Rebecca.
While earning her degree, Rebecca also worked full time and commuted each day to her job. She found time to study by making a schedule and sticking to it. “I studied 30 minutes a day, five days a week while at work and for an hour to 90 minutes every evening at home. I also spent about six hours on the weekend studying.”
“I tested out of a course about every four to six weeks. I used the modules for most of the tests that I took, and I was very well prepared,” said Rebecca. She was so well prepared that she was Excelsior College’s® 2008 Exam Award Winner for earning the highest scores on standardized tests.
“I was able to use what I was learning in the job that I was doing,” said Rebecca. “I was able to apply that knowledge to my position, finding it useful right then. It was great instant feedback.”
Rebecca now works for the Army as a civilian RN in ambulatory care. “My degree has absolutely changed my life,” she said. “I had a huge pay raise, and I am scheduled for regular raises now. The type of work I can do is much more varied than it was. As an RN, I also can specialize and pursue certifications.”
Rebecca is now pursuing her master’s degree in nursing. “I would recommend The College Network to anyone who is disciplined. Set aside the time, follow the modules, take the practice tests, study what you missed, and re-take the practice tests until you get 80 percent of the answers right. If you do that, you should be able to do very well on the exams,” said Rebecca.
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