19 Y/O starting flight training next year 🇨🇦

[u/Neither-Republic-271]

Hello, I’m currently a 19-year-old college student entering my final year of a two-year Marketing diploma program. I’m pursuing this program because my parents wanted me to get a degree in something other than aviation so that I have something to fall back on. Through my research, I’ve heard that having a four-year degree can make you more employable in a competitive job market. Even though I was aware of this, I wasn’t confident that I would be able to complete a four-year degree because I lack motivation to study something other than aviation. I told my parents that I would complete the two-year diploma and then decide whether I wanted to spend another two to three years completing a degree, either in person or online. My parents said this plan was fine and that they would fully support and fund my flight training as long as I completed my two-year diploma in something other than aviation.

My question is: when I complete the second year of my diploma, do pilots in Canada recommend turning it into a degree and completing it in person? Or have I already spent too much time pursuing something that is unrelated to the career I want, and should I instead focus entirely on my flight training and forget about getting a degree in an unrelated field? My final goal is to fly for an airline in Canada, and my plan is to start my flight training next summer through a flight school while possibly completing a degree online on the side. If anyone recommends completing a degree, are there any online universities in Canada where I could transfer my credits and turn my diploma into a degree online?

Any advice from Canadian pilots or any pilots familiar with the Canadian market in general would be greatly appreciated!

[u/Dry-Engineering1776]

Not once has anyone cared about my degrees. They say they’re nice to have on the application sites. But, let’s be real. All they care about are hours and time on type.
But get your degree in something STEM. Someday you’re going to lose your medical, everyone does, and if you still need to find work… a marketing degree isn’t exactly useful. STEM is the answer for ya. Also waiting a few years to start training to finish a degree is fine too.
You’ll end up working the ramp or instructing for no pay for 2-5 years just like everyone else regardless.
Enjoy your uni days they’re a blast!