Associates in Computer ... something?

[rlw74]

I'm not in the techy world so not an expert here but the question that comes to mind is..... which is better - the degree or the certifications? I assume having both is the best of both worlds. I have a few friends who went and got certifications from local community colleges and got into the most basic, entry level IT type jobs. Usually by the time they were ready to get their degrees they had already worked in a few different areas and knew what they liked. So before they dropped a whole lot of money into a four-year degree, they knew what they wanted and even were with an employer where they knew exactly what that employer wanted. I don't know if the advice changes when you are talking about an adult trying to start a new career or if its an 18-yr-old high school graduate who doesn't know what they want to do. But is there ever a time where one shouldn't focus on the degree but on the skill / work experience first?