After many thousands of hours as an instructor and an examiner I have seen dozens of people like you come to the industry filled with aspirations and depart with broken dreams. Telling you how it us, is neither delusional or paranoid.
You have no idea of the world of pain you want to let yourself in for. Just don't come whimpering back with stories of you have spent a fortune and got little in return as I will return you back to the advice I have given you with an I told you so. There is no work out there. The market is shrinking and there many many unemployed FIs.
Who is delusional?