My nephew is exactly the same age as you and is now a FO on a 737. He left school with 11 GCSEs - mixture of B and C grades - but because he had no As, he wasn't offered a place at sixth form. His school didn't rate him at all. He got a place at a local college, chose the wrong A levels for his strengths (maths and physics but did English based subjects) and came out with three C grades. He admitted he really didn't push himself academically because he hated school but was still desperate to be a pilot.
He applied and was accepted by one of the big three flight schools. He knuckled down, perfected his revision techniques, because the subjects interested him, he passed ground school easily, took to flying like a duck to water, passed his ME/IR CPL MCC/JOC etc first time and was offered a job by a major airline within a month of graduating.
He would be the first to admit he wasn't academic but had what it took for the aviation bit.
Ironically, the educational establishment that rejected him for their sixth form, and saw little future for him, now keep emailing him to come back as an Old Boy and give career advice to the current pupils!
This is the boy who never believed he would amount to anything!
If it's your dream, go for it. You're young, you're at the perfect age to learn and take on new ideas. If you really want it, you will get it.
Good luck.
