Originally Posted by ryane946

My advice would be to NOT get a degree in aviation. This is one of the best pieces of advice I have been given in my entire life (and trust me, I always ask for advice). It seems that with the volatile airline industry, there is a decent chance that you may find yourself unemployeed at a point in your career. Perhaps the industry may be so bad you might just need to leave. Then what do you do?

I highly recommend getting a degree in engineering. You will learn so much that is pertinent to aviation, but you will also have a back-up. Example. Once you have done 3-d center of mass with varying density in college, 1-D center of gravity for weight and balance is EASY. When I was a new flight instructor, I made a few computer programs to calculate weight & balance, preformance, time enroute, fuel burn, linear interpolation between preformance data points, and a few others. Saves me a bunch of time when I want to load an aircraft, or especially when I am planning a cross country flight. Plus I have learned so much from the internships I have gotten. I truly understand just how STRONG any aircraft is. It is downright amazing! Truly understanding things like that are incredibly helpful.

Even if engineering is not for you, I recommend getting a business degree or something other than aviation. You should shoot for your aviation goal, but it is very important to have a back-up.