AA is generally the abbreviation for Associate of Arts degree. This is the degree given by many two-year colleges, often called Community Colleges (which used to be called Junior Colleges). Some also award the AS-- Associate in Science degree. Typically, an Associate's degree is the equivalent of a year, or in some cases a year and a half, of courses at a four-year college, and there are many students who transfer their Associate's degree credits so that they can complete a four-year degree.
Although it may seem difficult, lowering your breathing speed will help to lower your heart rate. Take a breath for 5-8 seconds, hold it for 3-5 seconds, and then exhale slowly for a count of 5-8 seconds.
Sitting down for at least 10 minutes before taking your pulse slows your heart to its resting rate. Normal cardiac output, or the actual amount of blood pumped, while at rest ranges between 4.8 and 6.4 liters per minute.