B61 raises some interesting points.
FTE Jerez was the last large ATO to drop the true “integrated” style of course earlier this decade.
Day ON, day OFF flying / ground school during the SE phase.
It then became a block of GS, followed by a block of flying. At least with the exams being done on the computer, you don’t wait 2 weeks anymore for the results to be published.
As for the valued customer who doesn’t achieve first time passes, it can reflect their maturity.
It doesn't remotely represent year one at university, where socialising plays a significant part of the activities for those who can afford it. There are exceptions. Law & Medicine to name but two courses, where ‘head in the books’ is required from the start.
EASA studies is fully head on from day one of GS. 9-5 five days a week. 2-3 hours study each night, 5/6 days a week is required. A bit of OCD helps.
Do that and obtaining good results should be a stroll in the park. You simply keep nibbling away at it from day 1.
The analogy is the process of “OSMOSIS”. The material once described by an old hand (ex RAF nav) as HIGH volume, LOW grade material to learn. His other view was that if you were “thick” at the ground school, you would be “thick” at the flying. There is a strong correlation between brain power in the writtens & the flying. Not always.
After all, it is not Fast Jet training.
There are those who would say that age 21 should be the minimum age to commence professional training. A degree / life experience building maturity, is a critical ingredient of a *junior bird man*. The degree doesn’t have to be even remotely aviation oriented such as aeronautical engineering etc. Foreign language, History, English, science etc would be well chosen courses. A valuable meaningful degree and not one which might be regarded as “underwater basket weaving”.
There are always exceptions where a young person aged 18 have the necessary maturity. They are, however, as rare as rocking horse sh_t.
Note: in these days a political correctness the phrase *junior bird man* is a generic phrase reflecting which gender you orientate towards.
A phrase used by one Sandy Thomson last century who ran stand alone groundschool under CAP509. Pete Lyons are well. Booker May 1992. A really enjoyable month with such legends. I didn’t miss the flying one little bit. ATPL nav block ✔️DCO