I don't know if I should get an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Applied Science?

Student Lounge College Life
1

I completed a couple of years at university. I decided I want to take a break from school, and join the workforce for a while. I want to transfer my credits from my university to my local community college to get an Associate’s. I just want to get my Associate’s before I join the workforce, because I think it’s good to have SOMETHING than nothing at all.

I met with an advisor at the community college. The advisor told me, “If you just want a stand alone degree, you should go for the Associate of Arts.” I also thought about getting the Associate of Arts because I read that can get transferred to a university. He then told me, “If you want to get the Associate of Applied Science, you have to go in a specific area like Chemistry, Biology, Nursing, etc. You would have to take general classes and then more specific classes.”

I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to go in a specific area because I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO! This is why I want to take a break from school and join the workforce.

I’ve completed 61 credits at my university. I had 59 more to take. The advisor told me, “if I want to get the Associate of Arts, your credits from your university will transfer and you have to just complete 15 credits at the community college.” That sounds good. 15 credits, I can do that in a semester.

However, my mother is telling me I should get the Associate of Applied Science. I don’t want to do that, because I don’t know what direction I want to go. I told her I just want a more general degree. I also read that an Associate of Applied Science can’t get transferred to a university while an Associate of Arts can.
My mother asked, “So are you going to get an Associate’s and work at McDonalds? Walmart? Sweep floors? You have to pick a specialty!”

She’s annoying me because I feel like I’m being forced to make a quick decision and just go in a specific specialty when I don’t even know what specialty I want to get into.

I’ve never even had a job. I want to get some work experience, and I think an Associate’s will give me a better shot at landing a job. I don’t know what kind of job I want, I just want to work and develop my passion. My mother is telling me I need to pick a specific area of interest and pursue that. However I don’t know what area I want to get into.

Sorry for the rant, I just like to be detailed. But, what do you guys think?

2

Get the AA now. No matter what, you’ll most likely end up starting out in some sort of minimum wage job like McDonald’s. Do that until you have experience, skill development, and a better idea of what you want to do whether it’s a trade, a technical program at a community college, getting a bachelors degree, etc. it sounds like school isn’t for you right now. That’s okay. Get a job, earn some money, maybe volunteer or explore your interests, and most importantly, breathe.

3

I would just get the one that you can complete faster. I don’t see why it matters which one you get, don’t they both transfer back to a university in the future? I don’t think any potential employers for whatever job you are going to start off with will care which one you have. I would just be leery of taking this break you are thinking of. My husband did that, he had an associate’s degree in tool design. Then he got a job in computers right out of college. After a year or so he found a job actually designing tooling. He started back to school to get his bachelors. 54 credits later he never finished. He got married, had four kids and now will never get that bachelor’s degree (cause now it’s time for us to send our kids to college!). He has done well without a bachelor’s degree, but he’s been lucky. I say finish your degree if you can handle it, or don’t take too long to go back to it. Good luck!

4

The designation depend on your area of study.