Uni or not?
This is for those who dream of being an airline pilot.
Let's consider 2 school leavers perfectly equal in all respects with a decent set of A levels.
One goes to uni the gets a place on a mentored scheme, the other goes straight for the mentored scheme.
The latter will always be 3 years senior to the former and will always be 3 paypoints ahead.
Work out the difference in earnings over a 45 year career and you will be v surprised how much that degree will cost you. Think of a figure between 3 and 5 and add 5 zeros.
Factor in the possibility of the mentored scheme door closing in those 3 years and the possibility of fully automated flight decks in the future.
Going to uni is a great idea and a great life experience but make the decision using logic and a risk assessment tool and not what your teachers or parents expect.
If I had my time again ( and I'm v lucky to have the Ts and Cs and variety of work that I have ) I know what I'd do to maximise my chances of success accepting that nothing is guaranteed in this world.