<prompt> Human: I am stuck in a situation at my job regarding which education path I should take.I am 23 years old and currently working in a IT department for the government. I bring in around 65,000 annually with only a high school education. In order for me to move up in the agency I have to obtain IT trade certificates from different venders. I am debating if I should go back to school for my AA in management or should I just focus on my IT certifications and increase my income quicker then go back to school for my AA degree later in life? Any advice will be appreciated.  <response>: IT certs will be much better for you right now. An AA degree in management is pretty useless on its own; it is only really valuable as a stepping stone to a 4 year degree or an eventually grad degree. If you plan on stopping at the AA level dont do it. 