Is it better to get the Associate degree first?

In addition to personal satisfaction, there are many advantages to earning a degree.  First, you have something tangible to show for all your hard work. Completing the Associate degree gives you a sense of accomplishment.  Next, the more credits you earn at the community college, the stronger your application to the four year institution will be. 

Community college costs significantly less than state or private colleges or universities. This makes MCC a very cost-effective way for a student to begin and complete their first two years of college.  The money saved by living at home and commuting to MCC can help pay for the last two years at the college or university of your choice.  Also you will find that four year institutions that have scholarship money, reserve those scholarships for graduates of AA and AS degree programs.