loughrey1,
I was in your position 4 years ago when I was deciding whether to go to university or just straight into pilot training. In the end I went to university because there is no harm in having a degree. In fact it's a good safety net if for whatever reason you fail the medical. Once you fail a class 1 medical I have heard it's incredibly difficult to get it back, so in that situation having a degree is a good thing to fall back on. I am aware that fees are going up a lot nowadays though which will definitely complicate things.
As for ways of becoming a pilot there are two routes, Integrated or Modular training. There are plenty of resources online explaining the advantages and disadvantages of both routes. After reading the information about them, you'll have a pretty good idea of what route is best for you.
By the way, anyone here going to CTC wings assessment on 24th March?
(If I am in the wrong thread for my final question then my apologies, first time posting here)