There are several social, financial and career-oriented benefits associated with earning your RN to BSN degree online. By choosing to go online to further your education in nursing, you will be joining the growing ranks of students who have discovered the advantages of online learning. These days, nearly one in four students take at least some online college courses, a number that is up from 1 in 10 back in 2002, according to Reuters and online programs are becoming increasingly credible, both in the workforce and in society in general.
One of the biggest benefits comes to working RNs already immersed in a busy career. Earning your RN to BSN degree online provides much-needed flexibility, allowing students to create their own schedules, taking as many or as few courses a semester as their lives allow. So if you only have an hour or two each night for taking courses and studying, you can work at a slower pace; however, you can also move at an accelerated pace, completing your BSN much more quickly than you might in a traditional setting. One way this can happen, for example, is by eliminating the time you spend on your commute. By getting rid of an hour-long drive in and an hour-long drive out, for instance, you may be able to fit two more classes into your day, allowing you to earn more credits.
Speaking of commutes, you will save greatly in gas costs by eliminating those long drives. Gas prices have been sitting at more than $3.50 a gallon for a while now, and have shown no signs of getting any cheaper in the long-term. It’s also good to remember that hours spent in your car are hours that could have been spent studying or attending a class. You will also save wear and tear on your vehicle and the ever-present headache of having to hunt down a parking space, a complaint of campus-based college students across the nation.
Another benefit is eliminating the cost of room and board, a stout budget item you won’t need to worry about with online college, since you can take your courses from your home or any other place you can get reliable Internet service and quiet study space.
