Hey guys,
I echo what some people have said in that a degree is usefull. I think i degree has the following plus points:
1. Shows your ability to revise/pass exams
2. Is something to fall back on if the **** hits the fan
3. You develop inter-personnal skills, team working, and good social skills.
4. Some degrees do have a relevance to flying, for example mine is Aeronautical and i think for the ATPL syllabus particularly things like Flight Performance, having a good understanding of aircarft performance from a degree such as this helps a lot.
5. Can make you a more attractive candidate at the initial stage of selection.
That doesn't mean i don't believe you can get these skills elsewhere, i.e. working in ops for a couple of years etc etc. Or that this makes you any better a pilot in the long run.
But I personally think that having a degree is something else that may make your application stand out compared to some others thats all. They're looking for reasons to bin applications so the more you have to offer the better. Suppose its like flight experience really, do they or don't they like it?!?!?
I have to say there is something to say about work experience too though. There aint no better place to build communication than in a working environent, so work experience is also vital.
By the way i am at uni, but i did mine for my own reasons, not cos i thought it would get me on a CTC like scheme!! I wanted to enjoy my life, and they have been the best years of my life. Yeah i am in debt, but it was definately worth it.