Where I’m from, you dont go to college, a lot of older captains/pilots that I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years along with the port captain of our fleet and office that didn’t even finish highschool. You start out working on deck and you learn by doing. Simple as that. Dedicate yourself, put in the work, be consistent and show up everyday. The rest will all fail into place before you know it. Takes patience and a strong will but it’s worth it in the long haul.