Gap Year or straight to Uni?
I'm currently doing my A-Levels and considering a Gap Year before going to University. For my GapYear I intend to enroll onto a French language course in France and learn French and do some temporary work in France for a year before going to Uni.
Would a gap year help me towards getting an airline pilot job/sponsorship? Or do airlines prefer candidates who went straight to university?
Furthermore, I am about 1 year older than everyone else in my year, so when I graduate from a 4 year University degree course I would be 24 rather than 23. I heard that British Airways prefer their cadets to be as close to 18 as possible. Could a Gap Year therefore decrease my chances of getting onto this scheme?
The advantages of a gap year are:
1. i would have learnt a skill for life
2. being fluent in a foreign language may make me more employable
Disadvantages:
1. the age factor- i would have to apply for the TEP at 24 rather than 23 (this may decrease my chance?!)
2. if i don't get onto the TEP i would have to fund my own training and therefore be even older when i apply for a pilot job.
I would really like to do the Gap Year but at the end of the day, my dream has the highest priority so if a Gap Year is useless and does not increase my chances of becoming a pilot, then i suppose i would just go straight to university.
Does anyone know if the advantages of a gap year could increase my chances of becoming an airline pilot subject to the disadvantages? Which route would you choose (straight to uni or gap) and why?
Your help is much appreciated.