If I would have known what a nurse makes out of school and all the programs for school loan repayment they have. That's the route I would've gone and then just pursued flying as a hobby.

My opinion on paying for SIC time, a crap shoot at best, could be a giant waste of cash. I did not do it, but do know people who did, I'm not sure they were any better off, at best it saved them a little time and cost them a lot of money. Just for the record I don't support someone paying for a required crew member spot, but in a single pilot airplane it's a moot point, and not worth arguing about.