Self instruction (in my own anecdotal experience) is always more effective than structured learning at achieving SPECIFIC knowledge. If you a specific question or specific set of questions, you'll likely better reach a solution by researching it yourself. However, General Knowledge about a topic really only comes from instruction: assuming your instructor is an expert or relative expert in their field, they'll be directing you toward the general ideas that are precursors to the individual research you'll later do.
I wouldn't count on scholarships, and unfortunately -- knowledge means very little unless you can demonstrate or document it. Demonstration is often not an option, because it would waste a great deal of acceptance comittees' and employers' time to let everyone demonstrate their knowledge. If you're learning for the intrinsic benefit of learning, go ahead. But if you're learning with the idea that it will help you in the future -- only the documentation of an accredited "school" will have an immediate effect.
Trust me, I hate my 21 credit hours just as much as the next guy, and I know that I could learn it more efficiently under my own tutelage. But very few HR departments will hire someone without a piece of paper to back up their claims of brilliance.
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"I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel
Last edited by Jinn; 03-16-2006 at 06:17 PM..
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