AA vs AS

If nursing is your first choice and computer science is the back up plan, I would be working on the prereqs for nursing school first. Apply to nursing school as soon as you are able. If you dont get in and you decide on another degree, then look and see what remaining courses you need for the degree. Both degrees are science based, so I would think you would be slightly closer to AS.

I don't have any insight on the AA vs AS, but I in your post, you said you saw some people just do the pre-requs and then transfer to University. My advice revolves around that part.

I got my AA at a community college and then transferred to a 4 year university for my bachelors. I did this because had I only did the pre-requs and then transferred, I would've been held to the university's Gen Ed requirements (an extra 4-5 classes above what I would've had to do for the AA). By getting my AA first, I was able to jump straight into my degree courses instead of dealing with finishing the rest of the gen eds. That saved me like 2 semesters.

Another plus to getting your AA/AS first, is that in general, classes are cheaper at a 2 year. I paid $106 a credit hour at the community college and now at the university, I'm paying a bit over $200 per credit hour. So, I saved myself a ton of money going that route also.

Again, I don't know whether the AA or the AS is right for you, but I do hope you consider the requirement differences and tuition rate differences when making the choice whether to get an associate degree first.

Luck!