I have always loved to read and write. As a child, I devoured as many books as I could get my hands on, and I wrote my first opinion piece at age four, penning “I hat Brian” on my parents’ nightstand in permanent marker. I was pretty proud of that work, until I received my punishment, while at the same time learning that I had spelled “hate” incorrectly. That silent “e” was tricky.

I no longer “hat” my brother, but I do still enjoy sharing my thoughts via written word.

In middle and high school I did well in my language arts classes, and shined less brightly in the math and sciences. This was a problem, as I had already decided I would follow in my grandfather’s footsteps and planned on being a pharmacist when I grew up. The girl who blows a hole in the ceiling of the high school science lab, however slight the damage, should steer clear of advanced chemistry, and I needed to rethink my life goals.

My new plan went like this:

Identify which classes I liked the most in school.

Figure out which major in college would allow me to take more of those classes.

Get a job with that degree.

Make some money and live happily ever after.

This game plan led me to an English major, and I planned on doing who knows what with it. Teaching? Probably not. Writing best-selling novels? Doubtful. Become a blogger? What’s a blog?

It didn’t matter, because my English major status lasted only a semester. After four years, and far too much pizza and beer, I walked out of college with a BA in Management and Human Resources, right into a job with a major clothing retailer.

It was a great job for me at the time. My management position offered interesting challenges and a fast-paced environment, and I wasn’t confined to a desk. I spent a few years moving up the ranks, and was working with good people. After ten years, I left that company and became a stay-at-home-mom. That job also offered interesting challenges and a fast-paced environment, and I was still not confined to a desk. I still worked with good people, even though those people dropped food on the floor, relied on me for their toileting needs, and paid me in snotty kisses.

Now these children of mine are in school full-time, and I am at a crossroads. I have a part-time job with my old company, a job I have had for a few years, working 8-12 hours a week, which I enjoy. I am a freelance writer, and I am a blogger. All of these jobs are fulfilling to me in some way, but I’m looking for something. Something more? Something different?

But what am I going to do? Go back to school? I don’t have the time or the money to re-enter college…or do I?

Back in June, at The Blog University Conference, I was speaking with Jessica from American Public University, BlogU’s valedictorian sponsor. She told me the APU is a great option for working mothers and budding entrepreneurs, and I was like, “That’s ME!”

For the past two years, I have wondered how I can blog successfully and work full-time, and maybe APU can help me do that. Maybe with some book learnin’ I can make my blog my full-time job. Maybe one of the more than 180 degree and certificate programs, that start monthly and are priced at 33% less than average published in-state rates at a public university, can steer me in the right direction for this business we call blogging.

There are several things I love about the idea of an online university. First, there is a full experience in an asynchronous format – meaning you login and work on your own time schedule. In addition to that, there are discussion boards, forums, blogs and other social media channels keep you connected to classmates and professors. Now I was always pretty casually dressed for class back in the late 1990s, but I always wore pants. When you take online classes, there is no need for pants!

Are you interested in furthering your education, but can’t commit to a full course load? Are you, like me, possibly moving in the next year or so and don’t want to begin a degree program that you don’t want to have to leave behind? Do you like to save money on everything, especially high dollar purchases like a college education? Check out American Public University System. It is ranked in the top 12% of all online bachelor’s degree programs by U.S. News & World Report, and that’s a pretty fancy education for someone who isn’t even willing to put on pants.

Get more information on accreditation, courses, online degrees, and enrollment HERE.

This post was sponsored by American Public University, valedictorian sponsor of BlogU.

[Tweet “Does back to school for kids mean back to school for mom? @AmericanPublicU works around YOUR schedule!”]