Allow me to set the record straight

[FrontierFan]

Frontierboy,
You are a tool. While going to university is a good thing, your pissing in the wind with your theory. Please tell Chuck Yeager that you are a "better pilot" than him because you hold a degree and he doe's not.
What type of degree do you have? I am interested to know. Don't bother telling us that an arts degree makes you a better pilot or well rounded person, I will die of laughter. Most companies require degree's because it helps cull the large amount of applicants. Yes it helps some people aquire a better academic ability, however some of us, unlike you, are smart enough to get our sh1t together without having to "find ourselves" at college. All army pilots with no degree must be of a sub-standard species then? is this what you think.
Pull your head out of you a$$.
Any advice for future pilots, get a degree. It doe's not make you better, only more competitive.

I can't believe that this thread is still going. I am even more shocked that those who choose not to finish college are still trying to justify their choice with these extremely rare cases like Chuck Yeager. While everyone agrees that attending college has nothing to do with flying an airplane everyone should agree that choosing to finish college says a lot about a person and that is why every application asks, why the military demands a degree to apply to become an officer, and why it does make you more competitive.

If getting a degree truly does have nothing to do with a career as a professional pilot then it is odd that it does in fact make you more competitive. Serpico,thank you for proving my point for me in the last sentence of your post.

And if you are curious about my background of “finding myself” I chose to put myself through six years of college consisting of two years of A&P school followed by four years at Purdue. Maybe you don’t care, and that’s fine, but the HR people of everyone I have ever worked for did.

 

[SERPICO]

Ok,
Just to remind you, you started this thread. The reason it is still going is because your closed minded attitude seems to fail to realize that others have an opinion. Why can't you believe that people don't agree with you!
You began this thread by jumping out of your corner, fists up, telling the world that you are right. I am glad that you can read my last sentence, but you stated that having a degree simply makes you a better pilot, this my friend is bullsh1t. This is the only reason I am wasting my time replying. You should really make up your mind here. We all know that a degree will in most cases be a benefit.
I have worked in Ag for a few years, alas no longer. I can tell you that Ag flying is rewarding and also lucrative. What I cannot believe is that people like you associate all things with sitting in a pressurized tin can.
I think that you made a good decision by going to college and I am happy for you.
Here is some good advice from me. Don't get into the left seat and judge your FO until you have seen him/her in action. If you choose to think that you can judge your crew by simply knowing if they have a degree or not, then you wasted alot of money on that big brain of yours at college. Not a good way of conducting CRM.
When you say "pilot" remember that there is more to aviation than just jet jockeys like yourself. There are many aspects to aviation, maybe they did not teach that in college.
There are many reasons I did not go to university, however I would hopefully still have an open mind and not judge those "less educated" like myself if I did attend.
For the record, Chuck yeager did gain Astronaut wings without a college degree (X-15).

 

[N8Dogg]

I have a degree in aviation. If I had it to do all over again I would have gotten a degree in something non-aviation related (another interest). It would be nice to have something to fall back on if things don't work out in aviation (ie. loss of medical, burn out, furlough). I really don't know how much my degree has helped me in my career but I had a good time in college and I guess that was worth it. For those guys who are just starting out, be smart, think things through and try to make good decisions. Just my $0.02.