Long enough to know where my priorities belong. As was stated before me by RV5M, you have to look at what is most important and go that route. Obviously the first available class is important to you but not everyone shares that belief, and no a few seniority numbers doesn't always matter to every single pilot who gets hired on. BUT it could matter significantly and that is something that you need to be prepared to live with.

I had to defer my class a month because I was getting married and decided that Mesa's 10 day notice for class wasn't enough to rearrange my life over. Had it not been for that I would've been in the first class available, but I wasn't going to make my wife take a backseat to my career.