Earn an Associates degree first or transfer after 1 year (from community college)?

It will save you a lot of money and headache if you get your AA at the community college and get your grades as high as you can.

The first two years in a 4 year school is pretty much a waste anyways especially if you are going for a technical degree. You will learn as much at a community college as you would at a 4 year school. Maybe even more since at most community colleges, classes are small and you have direct access to the professor, unlike many 4 year schools where the lower level undergrad classes have over 100 students in it and are taught by TA’s that most likely took the same course they are teaching only a few of years ago. I have one TA that was teaching the class and took the same class only 2 years ago. Needless to say, he was not very good at teaching the class.

Most people that transfer from a community college to a 4-year college after two years do that because they have completed their Associate degree and are going on to continue their Bachelor degree. It really all depends on the type of degree you are wanting.

The problem with finishing your associates at a community college and then transferring, at least in Maine, is that a lot of the credits you work and pay for will not transfer to a “very-good” school. However, I do think if you get a degree from any four year school, it is an accomplishment that will be looked at equally by perspective employers; unless the HR person went to the same “very-good” school as you, then you may have an additional edge.

You can transfer after a year, but I decided to finish my two years before I transfered to a university, because I got a little more college experience, and I also wanted to have a degree just in case I wanted to get a more decent job while in college.

Get the associates and then transfer. Make sure you take general classes that have academic value but still count towards your AA/AS.