Tron sums it up pretty well,
Specifically for Jam - I saw the combination of your present job, age and a possible lack of confidence regarding academics. You'll note I did bother to read every post you've ever made before offering my opinion.
This all screams modular to me. Distance learning while still earning a full wage and vacations for brush ups and exams. Handholding all the way academically if you chose the right school rather than sitting in a room of thrusting young bucks and buckettes showing off just how recently they were doing hard sums.
Once the exams are out of the way you'll have had loads of time to check out leave of absence etc to do the flying - you've always got something in your back pocket and a way of boosting funds as and when you hit the hiccup we all do. For me it was 3 winter months spent waiting for a GFT booking, CAA examiner and legal weather to coincide.
These tarted up courses are total bollocks unless you are contracted from the beginning to enter an specified airline.
These courses are a pathetic attempt to cream more turnover to keep the sims and glossy marketing ticking over till the good times return. You are subsidising departments that cannot pay for themselves - is that clear enough for you???
Said marketing people have to rely on back up on the efficacy of integrated plus bolt on course and boot spoiler from companies who have never recruited low houred people and never will. Danny and I would prefer lethal injection to the electric chair. That is a preference - we have no intention to ever take up that preference. The marketing material is full of such mind numbing cant and not one of them has dared come on this site and defend themselves.
Keen readers will have noted these points have still not been rebutted after I brought them up a month ago.
Danny and I will be making every attempt to do this loudly and in public at any of the cozy little conferences they all inhabit. We will publicly shame those trying to get you to spend far more than you need to.
The savage lack of experienced people is feeding back through the system now - you should have noted by now the increase in interviewing going on.
As to this query:
Can you say more about this poor to non existent rate of return?
I don't have to tell you a thing - the marketing machine will make a point of e-mailing anyone and everyone if a course graduate has managed to tie their shoelaces that morning. The thread on follow up at Oxford sadly tells you everything you need to know.
Other than that carry on you chaps - your money and you can do whatever you like. We do however reserve the right to make our views clear seeing as myself, the Welshman and Scroggs are genuine working line guys, done all the licences and, most importantly, don't make a penny from any wannabee anywhere in the world.
Regards
Rob Lloyd