Well, hopped into college after 3 months of summer vacation. 4.5 years later I'm sitting here reading C5 and studying my ass off so I can 'officially' work on aircraft.
I had no idea what I wanted to do, mind you. I loved airplanes, history, music.. dabbled in all three during highschool. Found music didn't have a stable market to it job wise while being a teacher sounded cool..
Then when it came time to actually look at colleges the first one.. airplanes, took hold. Now, in 2010 I can say that I made such an awesome career choice. Though, if it weren't for all the electricity crap that I have to keep going over I'd have my license by now.
Not to mention the pay is insane for what you do, and to work at a working airport around airplanes is just something else. And, though some may not know this; some employers pay their mechanics to become commercial pilots too. That way, they can send the guy up that fixed it to make sure it works.
That, is why I'm putting up with the stigma of moving back in with my parents and spinning my tires.
I want to fly, and not just down the road in the T/A.
Be warned though, it's a pricey proposition. Pilot tuition can easily exceed 100K. Mine tapped out to 65K.
Can you do it without the degree? Yeah, it's cheaper too. But think about it; do you want to go around without a 4 year degree that down the road could open doors for you that wouldn't be accessible to someone without a degree? That's why I went 4 years in college.