University advice

[flying_batman]

Hi all

My name is Amir Khan, this is the first post I am making on this forum as I am looking for someone who could give me some guidance.

I am a first year student at Queen Marys uni in London, studying Aeronautical Engineering, pursuing my dream of becoming a commercial pilot.
After getting my results I have been told I have missed getting in next year by only 7% on one of my 6 exams.

Now my options are to retake in May and start 2nd year in 09. Which means I get put a year behind because of 7%.
I have spoken to a few people and am now considering dropping uni and going straight into flying and getting my PPL etc asap.

Please could someone advise me on which decision i should take, and if there are any other options which i have not come across that are available to me.

Thanks

[Whirlygig]

That's a bit harsh of London Uni! When I went there, (not QMC but RHC and 25 years ago), a failure of one exam in the first year was not disqualification for the second year; i.e. you could continue with the 2nd year stuff and resit the first year exam (if you wanted).

Have you tried talking to your tutors etc and see if they can't be more flexible? If not, it does seem to be a waste of a year (irrespective of your chosen career) so you may want to consider whether a degree is the right course of action for you.

Only you can know your ambitions and goals though and whether getting a degree is a big enough goal for you to carry on.

Cheers

Whirls

[Kerosine]

studying Aeronautical Engineering, pursuing my dream of becoming a commercial pilot.

In most people's books that's a contradiction in terms! FTOs and airlines (apart from BA?) alike do not state degrees as entry requirements, although whether they make you a stronger candidate for airline employment is debatable.

The degree would be useful as an fallback plan for if the flying goes mammaries-up, or if you plan to go modular and learn while you earn. Don't forget your uni debt though, although repayments are minimal it's still money owe!

That's very brief, I can't type anything too comprehensive at work, keep getting interrupted (how rude of my employers!)

[Flightless Falcon]

I would say it would be a bad move... Why not get a job get a ppl, + hour building while in ur year out and then go back in may...

Alot of people critises uni, but it is an excellent fall-back plan in the instance that flying goes tits up alltogether...

But most importantly.... It be the best years of ur life...GURANTEED...

I went to uni four years and all i can say is it was brilliant!!!!

How many 20 year olds do you know in the airlines.... Ur a young lad at uni,,, ye be doing urself out of ur youth!!!!

[Kerosine]

ye be doing urself out of ur youth!!!!

I think you'll find that's spelt 'Yoof'

It is a good point, there is no rush, definately would be any benefit doing it right now as opposed to a couple of years based on current speculation.

Having a degree would be a great experience, you meet a lot of people and learn a lot about yourself. You'll come out with all that, get a job and hour build, then in your late 20's get yourself stuck into ATPLs.

Not a bad way to spend a decade

[preduk]

Amir,

Are you sure that's the reason they kicked you out? I've yet to hear of a University that kicks a student out for failing one exam

I would recommend staying at University and maybe looking at other subjects. I personally hated University, but most people enjoy the student life, it's either that or working in a low paid job for the time being which would be hellish!

[Mr Grimsdale]

Definitely resit your 1st year if you believe you have the ability to pass. Bear in mind though that it's going to get tougher in your 2nd and 3rd years, so be honest with yourself.
This isn't meant to sound nasty but if you feel you really struggled with the material then maybe it's best to do something else as it's going to get tougher.

[flying_batman]

thanks for everyone's response.

Let me clear up a little confusion.

My course has 8 units. To get into year 2 I need to pass 6. However i only passed 5 and was 7% away from passing the 8th.

If I retake the exams in May I will only need to pass one to progress but have the opportunity to pass 3.

The Uni are not being very flexible at all with this, been on the phone all day and am putting together an appeal

[TomH1408]

Does that mean you passed 5 units failed 3 but were only 7% off passing one of the 3?

I am at university at the moment on a 4year engineering course hoping to beomce a pilot afterwards, even after 4 years at uni I will only be 22 when leaving. Just looking at this forum alone there are many people taking up flying at 30+ thats not to say uni is definitely the answer if you cannot wait to get into flying then go for it but be aware of the problems that can happen when it all goes funbags-up!

[jamie230985]

if your failing your first year at uni when you only need around 40% to get through i think you might want to re-think the pilot job.

a PPL is easy enough but when you get to ATPL level you need to work and work HARD to get through, if you cant get through uni then you will struggle. my ATPL's were more difficult than my third year in uni.

At the end of the day if you dont put the effort in when your training to be a pilot you could be putting yourself and other people at risk.

[charliegolf]

am now considering dropping uni and going straight into flying and getting my PPL etc asap

Split the difference: Get a job to pay for a PPL, keep the study for the resits ticking over gently, pass the exams.

Sep 09 to grad, keep yourself and the PPL current, and you're ahead when you start CPL.

GET THE DEGREE. It's money in the bank. Aviation is shifting sand at present.

CG

[tupues]

GET THE DEGREE. It's money in the bank.

No... its £12000 into the Universitys bank...

[charliegolf]

No, it's less than 20% of a fATPL invested in a bankable product- education.

CG

[cal900]

Have you given up on the boxing already?

Glass jaw .

[akindofmagic]

if your failing your first year at uni when you only need around 40% to get through i think you might want to re-think the pilot job.

a PPL is easy enough but when you get to ATPL level you need to work and work HARD to get through, if you cant get through uni then you will struggle. my ATPL's were more difficult than my third year in uni.

At the end of the day if you dont put the effort in when your training to be a pilot you could be putting yourself and other people at risk.

While I agree that putting in the graft is definitely required (and not just at ATPL level) I completely disagree that someone who doesn't pass university exams will struggle with the ATPLs, or a career as a pilot generally.

Academically, I don't think any of the ATPLs are too hard. The volume of material that must be learned is what makes them tough. Compared to my university exams, the ATPLs weren't too bad.

[Flightless Falcon]

I agree, it is not about how hard the material is, its about time managment really. The amount of stuff to cover in a short time can be equally as difficult...

Sayn that as well, i Dnt thnk airlines are staring to look for some sort of third level education now for no reson... A degree limits the competivness for jobs though now... Gets rid of the sugar daddies that is infested in the industry...

The best bet is to stay wit your degre.. I did engineering myself (mechanical) and its a solid degree to have in this world...Got a job no bother at all, plenty to go around,, infact its the only industry which is not being massively affected by the credit crunch.... Think about the other degrees (the likes of social Antropology) no offence to any one but i wonder which candidate would suit flying better......