Flying and degrees
I have a first class honours degree in engineering (aeronautics major). It was my intention to join the RAF to do my National Service and learn to fly, as I had also passed all the aptitude tests etc at Uni when I applied to get into the Air Squadron. I didn't get in to the UAS, (my legs were too long for the Harvards they were flying at the time - dates me!) but I got a chit which would have had me sent straight to Cranwell when my call up came. Alas, I joined Rolls-Royce on graduation and they trained me as an aircraft engine designer and I was placed in the Conway design team. I was then told that I was now exempt from NS (the Conway was a military engine at that time) and would be serving out my time at R-R and I could forget all about the RAF.
Long story, short - One of my colleagues on the Conway at R-R was a glider pilot (an instructor in fact) and he took me gliding. I learned to fly and eventually I also became an instructor. My engineering degree came in handy when I was made Club Technical Officer and had to look after all the ground kit like winches, vehicles etc.but it was little help for flying. I enjoyed gliding so much that I never bothered to do any power flying apart from odd two seater rides in the Tiger Moth tug on weather flights. I had a long happy time teaching other folk to fly, and flying all over the country in my own glider. 2200 sorties and no prangs. Lots of interesting cross country flights with field landings mostly, and I sent lots of people solo and made lots of friends. My degree was no real help in learning to fly. My skill as a motorcyclist was much more use. If you want to fly for fun, and it is the best fun you can have with your clothes on, I wouldn't want to be a modern airline pilot. Sounds like a very boring job to me.
Oh! and I would't worry about the class of your degree. I had several different careers as an design engineer and I was never ever asked to produce my degree scroll in forty years. I finished my career as a Chief Engineer (on laser guided weapons) with GEC, and that was fun too.