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Reimagine Your Associate Degree: A Step Toward a Bachelor’s Degree

June 9, 2019 by Bethanie Ryan

Student in community college

Taking classes at community college in preparation for a transition into university is an increasingly popular option for students who hope to earn a bachelor’s degree. A study by the U.S. Department of Education found that completing an associate degree before transferring — as opposed to transferring credits after one year — did not positively or negatively affect the students’ likelihood of finishing a bachelor’s degree, but there are some good reasons for earning that degree before continuing on to a bachelor’s.

Associate vs. Bachelor’s Degree: What’s the Difference?

  • An associate degree is a two-year postsecondary degree that usually consists of about 60 semester credits (20 classes). The three types of associate degree are: Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Sciences (A.S.), and Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.).
  • A bachelor’s degree is a postsecondary degree completed in three to four years, usually requiring 120 semester credits (40 classes). Standard bachelor’s degrees are Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Sciences (B.S.).

Because an associate degree is approximately equivalent to half of a bachelor’s degree (two years’ worth of general education and introductory major-specific coursework), it is possible for students looking to get a bachelor’s degree to transfer the credits they have earned to count toward their bachelor’s degrees.

Why Get an Associate Degree First?

  • Credentials: Some students choose to transfer community college credits after one year, but there are benefits to having a complete associate degree when you transfer. First, having an associate degree under your belt means you will be able to apply for jobs requiring one during the rest of college, if you so choose. Second, it guarantees that your two years of hard work will take a visible and appealing form on your résumé, even if you decide not to finish your bachelor’s degree.
  • Tuition: The monetary benefit of studying at community college before transferring to university is obvious: Taking two years of classes at community college saves you twice the difference between community college tuition and university tuition. That’s credits earned and money saved. Additionally, having an associate degree means you can put off finishing your bachelor’s degree if you want to; the credits you earned won’t depreciate in transferable value if they are locked into one unit (your degree).
  • Accommodation: Community college is a good place to gain some academic confidence in a setting that offers smaller class-sizes and options for English-language learners.

Choosing to earn an associate degree before transferring is a decision that will require some planning ahead, but having worked hard to earn it, you will be able to enter your bachelor’s degree program with a safety net (money saved and added credentials) and, most important, with confidence.

By Annemarie Arnold

Filed Under: Earn Your Degree As a Parent, Learn Tagged With: Associate Degree, Bachelor's Degree, college, community college

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Who is cutting the onion? 🥲I’m sharing this on the grid, because we all need a laugh.So this is not a poem.It’s about poo.And not even my child's poo.This is a story about the glamorous life of me right now.I'll keep it short, much shorter than my trip to the toilet.Both the kids were having screen time because quite frankly I had had enough and was at my limit, the move has been a lot and we were all a bit overwhelmed.Heidi had decided she wouldn't do her nap in the bassinet & so I strapped her in the carrier, seems to be the norm these days.Only, her nap lasted much longer than I had anticipated. An hour went by & the urge to pee was too great, yet so was the urge to not wake her.After careful consideration I thought I would attempt going to the toilet with her strapped in, surely I could manoeuvre all I needed to, and with a slight sway while weeing she may even stay asleep.Mother's can do anything right....But no, my body had other plans.Code brown alert.Not too far along post birth it was safe to say there would be no holding back. My mind was saying no... everything all postpartum down there was saying hell YES.So here I was, sitting on the toilet at my nanas house, kids out in the lounge while I was stuck on the toilet with my baby strapped to me taking a twosie.Other than the fact this was not my plan at all (and pretty unsanitary), she started to wake, of course she did.Now, unloading a baby from a carrier at the same time you're unloading timber is quite the awkward art. But here we were, my gorgeous little baby in my arms, carrier and pants at my feet with her apologetic mum just trying to finish what she unintentionally started.Luckily it was all smiles from her.I cooed & talked to her like it was totally normal for her to wake up in this little echoey room with her mum feeding the fish, and then it happened...her first official laugh.What a moment to behold.This is the way I live. This is what I do.Baby milestone book: place and date of first laugh 🚽✔️When Drew got home from work I needed a moment, just one moment alone to regain some dignity.I went to hand her over & he said,"yep just give me a moment to pee first" 🫠Art: @this_mama_doodles ... See MoreSee Less

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