Hello all,
It seems like a good thread to share my story and opinion behind the whole university degree and airline pilot idea. I am originally from Greece, and I came to the US to follow my dream and become an airline pilot, but I had no idea how I was going to achieve this. I started studying Aviation Management at a US university through a rowing scholarship that I got. My goal was to finish my B.S., find a job, make money, and then start flying, but things changed. My family was able to start making my dream of becoming a pilot a reality a year into uni. I started with my private and continued down the path all the way to my CFI rating, which I currently use to build my hours. Throughout the 4 years of classes, I learned a lot about the background of aviation, I learned about how airports operate and their history, I learned about designing runways, taxiways, safety areas, and everything that surrounds an airport; I even learned AutoCAD, which is a designing software. All of this extra knowledge might never be needed in my future as a pilot, but I didn't stop there because my passion for aviation was not just to become a pilot and travel around the globe, but to educate and expand my knowledge in the beautiful industry of aviation. After my B.S. I continued my education, currently pursuing a master's degree in Aviation Human Factors, and I am writing my thesis on cognitive workload and automation dependency in single-pilot operations, and all of these because I just love learning, and I love aviation.
If you think that going to college is just an extra step to boost your resume and be more likeable to the airline recruiters then I would say don't waste your money into a 4-year degree in a random major that you would forget all about the moment you step out of school. If you truly love aviation and/or overall education though, then I would 100% recommend getting a degree in a field of your interest. I learned that college is not just getting a degree to please your parents or your future employer, but a personal fulfillment of your own personal goals and personal improvement. If I could go back in time, I would do the exact same things with more passion and focus on the things my professors were teaching me because I can proudly say that I loved getting to understand the background of the aviation industry, airport management, accident investigation, airline ops, and even general aviation ops.
Thank you for your time, and I hope this post helps all current and future pilots get a better idea of what a college degree can offer you!