Left school with good grades, no college, worked/saved did PPL locally. Went to large FTO in UK to complete ATPL groundschool. Hour building in the states and back to the same UK FTO for ME CPL, MEIR, MCC and JOC. 8 months later started UK turboprop job, had a 2 year stint FO regional jet then a few years in the LHS turboprop. Now working for a loco on a shiny jet - miss my old turboprop job occasionally though. Times change though and I wouldn't necessarily do things the same way in 2015 as I did in 2005.