Hey Nick....
July 12th is the next big day huh? The more you fly the more comfortable you will get. When I started the PPL program through ATP, I was flying just about every other day...and sometimes twice a day. This made me get comfortable very quick because I was working at it all the time. It allowed me to keep moving forward. Sometimes when there is too long of a break between flights, it is common to spend the next flight reviewing what was covered on the previous flight...and that can eat away at time and money. This is why the fast track programs worked great for me. Just something to think about.
So where are you training right now?
To be an airline pilot, you definitely do not have to get straight A's. But if you want to have straight A's then go for it by all means. I for sure did not have straight A's. When I interviewed at Eagle I had to provide all of my transcripts from each school that I attended. There were a few A's scattered around here and there...
... but not as many as the other letters of the alphabet...
. But seriously though...when I was in school I made sure that I applied myself as best I could since I was investing a good amount of money in schooling. Same goes for when I started at ATP. Each written exam that I took I always wanted to get the highest score.
The college degree is not required if you want to fly for a regional airline or even some corporate airlines. However, if you want to go to a major airline, a college degree will be required. I know quite a few people that do not have college degrees that are flying for a regional or corporate airline and they are working towards their degree through online programs so that when their opportunity comes to move on, they will be ready. For others, they will not need a college degree because they really like flying for a regional or coporate airline...they will stay until it is time to retire...be very senior in the company and have a great schedule and be based in their home city and have weekends off. It all depends on what you want to do.
Having a college degree is something that I added to my resume when I applied to American Eagle to make myself more competitive, BUT it was not a requirement. When you make it to that interview, you want to have as many items in your favor to separate you from others that are also interviewing...whether that be your flight experience, your work experience, your school experience, your technical knowledge, your personality. Anything you can do to make yourself more marketable...know what I mean?