Uni or flying training? (2012)

[teabagYoYo92887]

Hi
My name is Tony , currently studying last year in college, i am seriously thinking of going into the avaition industry. I been thinking hard for the past two years. However since i been on the forum i seen some fantastic story and some negative stories on how hard it could be to find the 1st job. i know its hard & my parents are thinking is it worth the risk of spending so much money in a such a unstable industry.
I sees so many well qualifield pilot struggled to get an interview nevermind a job. doesn't gives me & especially my parents confident.

Fews day ago i thought of another problem should i go to university to completed the degree i've been seeking for or ust go straight to training.

Just wanted to know aswell when you do get your big break would you be able to hold down a full time airline job & studying for a BA degree?
the thing is im worried about if (a big IF) you fail medical test, then your expensive license is worthless then

i have a rough idea on which type of course i should be going into?

Any help or comment would be Appreciated

Thanks!

[philltowns]

Get your medical done BEFORE you invest in any flight training. As for university, have a read here:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...hreadid=102046

[Re-Heat]

Just wanted to know aswell when you do get your big break would you be able to hold down a full time airline job & studying for a BA degree?

If you want to do it properly, a BA degree is a full-time commitment. Clearly if you were to do it while working, you would be highly committed to those studies as well, so to do it justice would warrant taking longer over a part-time course or OU rather than full-time.

You can't control your rostering either, so even for those few hours of face-to-fact contact a BA would require each week, you would be struggling. Not to mention lugging aronud textbooks to complete the reading.

Yes, I refer to a proper degree - underwater basket-weaving at Barrow Community Polytechnic is not relevant!

[SinBin]

Learning basic English skills would help!

[TAP]

Degree!!!!!!!!!

Do it!

I cannot stress how much a degree was of importance to me during my flight training....

It tought me so much.. How to look after myself, work to deadlines and it also showed that results are proportional to the amount of work you put in! ok ,ok, ok, someone is going to come along and state they know all that already but believe me, it gives you the cutting edge over anyone without a degree.

I started an integrated course after my degree and I could pick out pretty much everyone who didn't do a degree by the way the interacted with others and so could a few of my friends. There are exceptions to the rule, but believe me... the majority fit into the stereotype!

Back to gaining a job..... I have just gained employment with a fantastic airline and i know of someone not getting in as they "lacked" in life experience.... Did they have a degree? no. Dont get me wrong... i know loads who havnt got a degree who fly for airlines.

Above all. It was the best 3 years of my life i wouldnt exchange for anything!!!!!! An obvious biased posting.....

[philltowns]

I'd agree with the idea that, other than the qualifications, uni is useful as it changes you a lot as a person. For a lot of people, its their first time living away from parents, which makes them grow up pretty fast (after the shopping-trolley-surfing and vodka monopoly games, of course )

[preduk]

I'm at University the now, Studying Law.

I don't plan on becoming a lawyer, but done the degree for the hell o fit really.

I'm currently getting a Student Loan and Student Bursary, guess where all the money is going?

I will end up with a PPL and a degree when I graduate at the age of 20, and a loan which I don't need to pay back until I earn over £15,000 a year.

Worth it in my opinion.

[teabagYoYo92887]

thanks for reply & my english is fine

[Genghis the Engineer]

Thanks for the reply; my English is fine.

?

On a more serious point; if you wish to study for a degree whilst working in a job such as flying, the only way to do this is part time. If you are looking at a bachelor's degree, then I think that the best starting point would almost certainly be the Open University.

G

[Shakuri]

As a current University student I would suggest you go to University, above all it gives you life experience and also shows that you have the desire to suceed. I believe that altho CTC don't require you to have a degree, the Uni experience as a whole will give you a much better chance of getting through (atleast i hope so anyway).

I'm currently awaiting stage 2 for CTC and i think by the time it comes to stage 3 I will be able to demonstrate the skills I have learnt at Uni, and relate my experience to many of the questions they will no doubt ask.

[matt85]

If I did it again I would probably take some sort of relevant junior position at an airline/airport after college for a few years and do an OU degree or something similar alongside.

'University life experience' is overrated anyway IMO.

[abs_kols]

dilemma regarding flying or uni

i have just got my a level results which to be honest aren't that pleasing. i had applied for university with first choice royal Holloway and second choices queen marys for astrophysics. got accepted at queen mary but declined it as i have my heart set on royal holloway. but this means me taking a gap year.
i have been very enthusiastic about being a pilot for really long. my influence is my dad who is a captain and has been flying almost all his life. i have booked my 1st class medical and have also booked my aptitude test with cabair. after these two i am considering going to America for my jaa PPL and then hopefully coming back by November to join the ATPL course at london guild hall uni. i know i have high chances of getting a job as the situation in india is really good and i am a uk/indian dual national.
although i feel that i may be missing out by not going university after the gap year. my other option is that i do my fATPL then go to university for a 3 year course and then complete my flying as the fATPL is valid for 5 years.

[Mohit_C]

I have a question. By when will it be a necessity to have a university degree to be able to work for an airline, if ever?

[DC-8]

By 2010 for AirEuropa.

[Shay]

Hmm that's scary...

I can't afford university as well

Damn. I know I should get a degree but I can only do one or the other...

[Mohit_C]

DC-8, do you think Air Europa could influence other airlines to make having a University degree a must to being able to work?
I was calculating that if I do the integrated ATPL by this October 2007 I should in theory finish by April-May 2009, but if I do the modular way, it would take me much longer. But then afterwards I have to start getting more flying hours...what do you people suggest is worth doing, modular or integrated?

I know there is a thread on this discussion but I mean one at this moment in time.

Thanks.

[DC-8]

DC-8, do you think Air Europa could influence other airlines to make having a University degree a must to being able to work?

I don't think it will be a must for all airlines. However many companies prefer pilots with uni studies...

[ProPwannabe]

options for what I want

Basically guys this is what i want to get within the next 3 years.

Im not young anymore, 25 yrs old!
spent the last 4 years as a cabin crew!

my requirements:
a degree
a CPL
a course no longer than 3 years
as cheap as possible (around 50k)
a good university with good reputation
a university with a good student life or hot girls! (im serious about this one!) 4yrs as cabin crew has had a serious influence on me to have this requirement

is that too much to ask??

what do you guys recommend?

Has anyone been to buckinghamshire new university?
ba(hons) aviation with cpl?

[Genghis the Engineer]

What A-levels do you have PW?

G

[Genghis the Engineer]

Well you'll need those or something equivalent for degree entry unfortunately. An ND might get you somewhere, but graphic design hasn't any significant maths content so won't get you into any technical degree course.

G