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Feeling lost in life - need urgent advice

I want to become a pilot, I've wanted to since I was about 7 years old. It's a dream that may not come true for some time, because my parents want me to get a job, with a degree, first.

I currently do chemistry, biology and english literature for A level. I was considering doing a law degree and doing something with that but my parents said the 2 science A levels would go to waste. I love chemistry. I was going to do a chemistry degree until I found out there are no jobs in it.

What degree should I do now? Mum wants me to go into pharmacy, but apparently it's bad...

I want to do a degree that has lots of chemistry and can give me a good job. I'm planning to save money from day one so I can pay the £100k needed for pilot school.

Someone help. My school is telling me to do work experience. What the hell am I meant to do it in? I need degree ideas urgently!

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If you keep Chemistry and then do a Law conversion, you could earn a stack in patent litigation, which would fund your pilot ambitions. Careers are a marathon not a sprint.
(edited 4 years ago)
Tf? Who told you there are no jobs in chemistry, lmao? That’s a lie. Chemistry is one of the most solid and respected degrees. As well as being able to go into academia, research, industry etc, you can also go into practically any job unrelated to science, such as teaching, consulting, accounting, marketing, business and so on.
Consider the following
1. What A-levels do you need for pilot school
2. Degrees aren't always about learning content you'll use but typically abotu showing to employees that you're smart enought to do said task. Any science related degrees are usually highly valued. Look into biochemistry and chemical engineering aswell as just a pure chemistry degree
3. If you do like chemistry, do as much maths related stuff as possible as it is incredibly useful for getting into mentioned degrees
4. If piloting really is your dream, are you realistically smart enough and hard working enough to make it?
5. Consider the downsides of being a pliot (e.g never really being able to settle down in one place, always moving around)
6. If after the last two points you still really want to become a pilot, you need to have a talk with your parents. They aren't going to be the ones doing your job for the rest of your life; you are. You need to lay out that piloting is what you want to do
7. You are unlikely to find work experiences in areas of interest unless you are able to beg an airport (if you're near to one) to let you shadow someone there for a week or so. If this doesn't work out, you could see if there are any research/science companies near you where you could shadow someone
Original post by InJailOutSoon
...............


It's complete nonsense that there are no jobs in chemistry, or with a chemistry degree.

You can do work experience in anything. Very few work experience jobs can give you real experience of actually doing a job, you are never going to mix chemicals in a lab if you want to be a chemist, or operate on a dog if you want to be a vet, or play in the first team if you want to be a footballer etc. If you've got a local university, maybe see if you can work with a lab technician and learn some lab stuff.
Original post by Ultrasonix
Consider the following
1. What A-levels do you need for pilot school
2. Degrees aren't always about learning content you'll use but typically abotu showing to employees that you're smart enought to do said task. Any science related degrees are usually highly valued. Look into biochemistry and chemical engineering aswell as just a pure chemistry degree
3. If you do like chemistry, do as much maths related stuff as possible as it is incredibly useful for getting into mentioned degrees
4. If piloting really is your dream, are you realistically smart enough and hard working enough to make it?
5. Consider the downsides of being a pliot (e.g never really being able to settle down in one place, always moving around)
6. If after the last two points you still really want to become a pilot, you need to have a talk with your parents. They aren't going to be the ones doing your job for the rest of your life; you are. You need to lay out that piloting is what you want to do
7. You are unlikely to find work experiences in areas of interest unless you are able to beg an airport (if you're near to one) to let you shadow someone there for a week or so. If this doesn't work out, you could see if there are any research/science companies near you where you could shadow someone


1. You don't need specific A levels for pilot school. You just gotta be healthy and smart.
2. Engineering has a lot of maths and physics which I'm not good at :frown: Biochem sounds interesting, I just don't know what jobs I can get with it. What would I even do as a biochemist?
3. Do you recommend any websites on how I can improve my maths skill?
4. I'm smart enough and definitly hard working enough. I've wanted this job for so long, I'll do anything! Even if it means wasting 4 years of my life on some degree and a few more years earning money to pay for training
5. It's fine. I don't care about that crap
6. The thing is, I'm scared too. Imagine I become a pilot then suddenly lose my license at the age of 36 bc of ill health? What then? At least I'll have a degree to fall back on...
Original post by DrSocSciences
If you keep Chemistry and then do a Law conversion, you could earn a stack in patent litigation, which would fund your pilot ambitions. Careers are a marathon not a sprint.

I don't know what any of that means :frown:
Original post by threeportdrift
It's complete nonsense that there are no jobs in chemistry, or with a chemistry degree.

You can do work experience in anything. Very few work experience jobs can give you real experience of actually doing a job, you are never going to mix chemicals in a lab if you want to be a chemist, or operate on a dog if you want to be a vet, or play in the first team if you want to be a footballer etc. If you've got a local university, maybe see if you can work with a lab technician and learn some lab stuff.

Is that what I'll be condemned to? Being a lab technician? It sounds so depressing...
Original post by InJailOutSoon
I don't know what any of that means :frown:

It’s a roadmap for the fulfilment of your academic interests and career ambitions. Go and research those terms that you don’t yet understand.
Original post by InJailOutSoon
Is that what I'll be condemned to? Being a lab technician? It sounds so depressing...


For goodness sake! Of course not - but you don't waltz into a research chemists laboratory just to do a week's year 10 work experience. This work experience is irrelevant, go to work with one of your parents, a neighbour, ask to work in a local accountants, the local flying school, a library, a pet shop. it just doesn't matter, it's not a qualification or a route anywhere, it's just exposure to the responsibilities and challenges and the way the workplace operates.
Original post by threeportdrift
For goodness sake! Of course not - but you don't waltz into a research chemists laboratory just to do a week's year 10 work experience. This work experience is irrelevant, go to work with one of your parents, a neighbour, ask to work in a local accountants, the local flying school, a library, a pet shop. it just doesn't matter, it's not a qualification or a route anywhere, it's just exposure to the responsibilities and challenges and the way the workplace operates.

It's year 12 work experience so it's quite important...
Original post by InJailOutSoon
6. The thing is, I'm scared too. Imagine I become a pilot then suddenly lose my license at the age of 36 bc of ill health? What then? At least I'll have a degree to fall back on...


My uncle is a Pilot and he makes sure he eats incredibly healthily and is always excersing. He has been piloting for 25 years I think. Either way he's more than 50 now and he does everything he can t make sure he is at peak condition
However like you said, this stuff can be unpredictable and a couple years ago he had some heart problems while doing his regular health check up. They found out he had a block in one of his arteries. (turns out it was genetics)
So I know I've probably made you fear it even more now but you know what...
All that happened was he had to take 6 months off. The airline paid for his stent surgery and he had to take some time off which was hard for him, but he kept his health up during this time and he got back to it straight away
My point being, unexpected things can happen but if this really is your passion, you'll find a way around it
Original post by InJailOutSoon
It's year 12 work experience so it's quite important...


It's really not. It's just anything that shows you the workplace. Any workplace will do.
Reply 13
Original post by InJailOutSoon
I want to become a pilot, I've wanted to since I was about 7 years old. It's a dream that may not come true for some time, because my parents want me to get a job, with a degree, first.

I want to do a degree that has lots of chemistry and can give me a good job. I'm planning to save money from day one so I can pay the £100k needed for pilot school.



Pilot training does not cost £100k

Considering you have wanted to do this since you were 7 you really haven't looked into this.

It can be done for approx £45 -£50k
Original post by ellie80
Pilot training does not cost £100k

Considering you have wanted to do this since you were 7 you really haven't looked into this.

It can be done for approx £45 -£50k


Who told you this? I'm looking to go to an actual school not some local flying club
Reply 15
Original post by InJailOutSoon
Who told you this? I'm looking to go to an actual school not some local flying club

"Go to an actual school" You clearly do not know what you are talking about.
"Who told you this" It's not about being told, do your research what qualification you need and how to get them.

To become a commercial pilot in europe you need to gain a CPL (commercial pilots license), and ME/IR (Multi engine instrument rating) the 14 ATPL Theory exams and an MCC (Multi-crew co-operation course)

You can do a PPL in a min of 45 hours for about £7-9 K
You then need to hour build to about 157 hours and usually get a night rating this can cost about £10-20k depending on where you do it and what you fly
ATPL theory about £4k
Then do the CPL/ MEIR stage which is anywhere from £20-30K the (IR is about 15K of that)
Then an MCC course £3-7K

Stop being lazy and do your research properly
Reply 16
Original post by ellie80
"Go to an actual school" You clearly do not know what you are talking about.
"Who told you this" It's not about being told, do your research what qualification you need and how to get them.

To become a commercial pilot in europe you need to gain a CPL (commercial pilots license), and ME/IR (Multi engine instrument rating) the 14 ATPL Theory exams and an MCC (Multi-crew co-operation course)

You can do a PPL in a min of 45 hours for about £7-9 K
You then need to hour build to about 157 hours and usually get a night rating this can cost about £10-20k depending on where you do it and what you fly
ATPL theory about £4k
Then do the CPL/ MEIR stage which is anywhere from £20-30K the (IR is about 15K of that)
Then an MCC course £3-7K

Stop being lazy and do your research properly

Hi ellie are you looking to be a pilot? How far have you got if you have..
Original post by ellie80
"Go to an actual school" You clearly do not know what you are talking about.
"Who told you this" It's not about being told, do your research what qualification you need and how to get them.

To become a commercial pilot in europe you need to gain a CPL (commercial pilots license), and ME/IR (Multi engine instrument rating) the 14 ATPL Theory exams and an MCC (Multi-crew co-operation course)

You can do a PPL in a min of 45 hours for about £7-9 K
You then need to hour build to about 157 hours and usually get a night rating this can cost about £10-20k depending on where you do it and what you fly
ATPL theory about £4k
Then do the CPL/ MEIR stage which is anywhere from £20-30K the (IR is about 15K of that)
Then an MCC course £3-7K

Stop being lazy and do your research properly

On the L3 Airline Academy website it says I need to pay 100k... Can you explain this please?
Reply 18
Original post by InJailOutSoon
On the L3 Airline Academy website it says I need to pay 100k... Can you explain this please?

Do you think L3 Airline Academy is the only approved training provider by either the CAA or EASA?
Ferrari may charge over £100,000 for a car. Does that mean all cars cost £100,000?
Do your research, if in 1 week that's all you can find then you are obviously not taking it seriously.
Original post by ellie80
Do you think L3 Airline Academy is the only approved training provider by either the CAA or EASA?
Ferrari may charge over £100,000 for a car. Does that mean all cars cost £100,000?
Do your research, if in 1 week that's all you can find then you are obviously not taking it seriously.


L3 has lots of links to airlines such as British Airways and easyJet. I want to work for easyJet and eventually BA. Those airlines prefer students from L3.

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