If I had the chance to start over I would definitely go to a small state college or community college and get a degree unrelated to flying. I love aviation and everything to do with it, but I have all my eggs in one basket. If the s*it hits the fan I am stuck with no way to make a living. Save cash by going to a state school and during the summers go to ALLATPS. You can do a rating or two each summer and by the time you graduate college you will have a few hundred hours of multi engine time as well as all your licenses. They offer CFI jobs to their program graduates, so you could jump right into being a MEI and build some quality ME time. Then get hired on at a regional carrier you like with bases where you enjoy. As soon as you finish IOE, join the Guard and fly for them. You keep your seniority at the regional while you go to the Guard. This will allow you to have a stable liveable income (twice the 1st year RJ pay) and some great flying experience. By the time you finish the Guard training and are on the regular duty (2 weekends a month or whatever) then you will have accrued 2-3 years of seniority at the regional airline you originally were hired by. You can then fly for the regional and upgrade to captain, while still flying the Guard and networking with the military guys.