If I were advising a kid who wanted to be a pilot, I would tell them this:

1- get your ratings ASAP and start building hours in a 135 position.

2- start working on an inexpensive online degree in your free time... ideally something diverse as a fall back in case you lose your medical or don't want to fly (I highly recommend finance because it is useful and versatile)

3- get your ATP at age 23

4- by then you may have enough hours to bypass the regionals all together, or at least your stay at the regionals won't be very long.



Ratings first, degree second