Pilots established in the industry forget how clueless some prospective Regional pilots are about life at a Regional and how things change. Prospective pilots would be better served by pointing out experiences we have all had and let them decide from there. I have talked to several aviation college graduates and some of them did not know what the starting pay is at a Regional. Many of them had amassed over 100k in loans and when you try to educate them on pay, schedules, etc, the look on their face is shocking. Part of the problem is you have some people in the teaching profession that are so far removed from the airline business they could not possibly educate the next generation of pilots on what to expect at a Regional. I witnessed this first-hand teaching at an aviation school after Regional life. I am not bashing anyone here, but it is sadly the truth. There are places such as Mesa that has been historically bad and will probably never change. If you decide to go to a place like that keep in mind that it may be rough for few years and hope that it does not turn in to a lifetime job. You may want to pick a desirable place to live and decide on which Regional will fit your goals from there. If the music stops in the industry again at least you won't be living in some place where the cost of living is high, that you absolutely hate, worrying about your kids in some crappy school. It is all about maintaining a balance!