When I got my first programmer job I didn't have a degree. They didn't pay much but I saved every penny for 6 months. Then told my boss: "I'm going to spend this on Microsoft certifications"

My boss told me this would be a waste of time. So I quit.

Went to a Microsoft partner and asked for all the trainings I could afford. Learned Windows NT, networking, etc. Started doing the certs. The instructors there told their manager they should hire me. I started working there.

Funny they had an incentive: More Microsoft certs, bigger your paycheck. So I did every Microsoft certification in existence Anyways, it was good, I've learned a lot of stuff.

Eventually, the same guys who were my trainers decided to start a company, they invited me to join them so I did. And for 7 years the 5 of us ran this startup, a consulting company. We were all in our 20s. We learned a lot.

Eventually I could afford paying for an university and I decided to do management instead of computer science. I felt that was the thing I needed the most then. I was then invited to teach programming at an university at evenings, which I did for a short while.

People in the same situation as I was, no time during the day, couldn't afford not working, so they looked for options that would fit best.

Years later I traveled the world, joined Microsoft and Microsoft paid for my masters in computer science.

All of that to say there's no right or wrong on how you find your path to learn. There are better options and if you have the privilege to enjoy them, by all means do it.

And by the way, pay it back. I must have trained thousands of people in my career.

I remember giving trainings to 3 classes (morning, afternoon and evening) during the week and another one on the weekends. For months. And somehow I had fun doing that, go figure.

Now I feel tired after creating a PowerPoint.