Hey, Jarvis! Why bother with premium courses when YouTube and ChatGPT have everything you need for free? 🤔

Short version: If you can afford a premium course, go for it. It'll save you ridiculous amounts of time. For those questioning my decision while being completely broke and wanting to make it; buckle up, you're in for one hell of a ride.

Ever tried learning javascript (or any tech skill) through YouTube? You’ll spend more time picking tutorials than actually coding. I’ve lived both sides; premium courses and the YouTube rabbit hole; and here’s the brutal truth: free isn’t really free.

Let me paint you a picture of the YouTube learning experience...

The YouTube Rabbit Hole: A Love-Hate Story

Picture this: You want to learn subject "X", let's say Java (shocking choice, I know). Your first move? Ask AI what Java means, then dive deep into YouTube and type "Java programming."

What you get: A beautiful list of approximately 847,293 videos ranging from 2 minutes to 50 hours long. Some in English, some in languages you definitely don't speak, and some where the audio sounds like it was recorded inside a washing machine.

The million-dollar question: How do you know the first video is worth your time? How do you know it won't leave out crucial concepts that'll bite you in the ass during an interview?

Plot twist: You don't! You're basically playing educational Russian roulette, crossing your fingers that the 3-hour tutorial by "CodeMaster2022" isn't complete garbage.

Jarvis Wuod’s laptop with a mouse on table

Premium Courses: The GPS for Your Learning Journey

Here's where premium courses shine like a beacon of hope in the chaotic wasteland of free content. Most premium courses are crafted with one revolutionary concept in mind: structure.

They teach you exactly what you need, in the sequence you need to learn it, without overwhelming your already-fragmented attention span. No more guessing if you should learn loops before functions or wondering why everyone assumes you know what a "framework" is.

Translation: Premium courses save you from decision paralysis and keep you focused on learning instead of playing "Pin the Tail" on the Right Tutorial.

My Premium Course Adventures: A Financial Autobiography

"But Jarvis, have you actually tried premium courses, or are you just talking out of your ass?"

Great question! I've bought exactly 3 courses on Udemy (before my dad could say, "That's too expensive! Can't you just learn it on YouTube for free?" love you, Dad 😅).

The Great Android Disaster of 2019

My first premium purchase was an Android development course. Young, naive me thought mobile development would be easier than web development. Spoiler alert: I was wrong about everything.

The Dream: Learn Android, build the next big app, become a millionaire by Thursday.

The Reality: My laptop was slower than a Windows 95 computer trying to run Cyberpunk 2077. What took the instructor 30 seconds to compile took me 5 full minutes. I'd literally pause the video, stare at my reflection on the black screen, and contemplate my life choices.

The Trauma: I still get flashbacks when I hear the Android Studio loading sound. Is this what PTSD feels like? 😂

The Plot Twist: This disaster led me to web development, which led to my current fullstack career. Sometimes the best thing that can happen to you is your laptop being too crappy for your original plan.

The JavaScript Redemption Arc

After my Android dreams were crushed by hardware limitations, I bought a JavaScript course. Holy smokes, what a difference! My laptop actually cooperated, I could follow along without wanting to throw it out the window, and I was building actual things instead of watching loading screens.

Then I grabbed an HTML/CSS course, and the rest is history. I'm now a fulltime fullstack developer, and everything I use daily at work came from those two courses.

Fun fact: I'm so generous with my success that I'm willing to share my Udemy credentials with anyone who needs to learn frontend. Yes, I'm basically the Robin Hood of web development education. 😎

The Gym Membership Reality Check

Here's the thing though, buying a premium course is exactly like buying a gym membership. It does NOT magically make you lose weight or get stronger. You still need to show up consistently, do the hard work, experience the mental equivalent of muscle pain, and track your progress.

What premium courses DO provide:

• The right guidance on what to focus on and in what order
• Access to proper tools and community support
• Regular feedback and structured progression
• An environment designed for maximum learning efficiency

What they DON'T do: The actual learning. That's still on you, chief.

My Premium Course Shopping Strategy

When I'm about to drop money on a course (mostly Udemy because I'm not made of money), here's my evaluation process:

1. Updates: The Freshness Test

If you're in tech, you know the only constant is change itself. Any course that hasn't been updated in 3+ years gets a big fat "NOPE" from me. I'm not trying to learn deprecated methods and outdated best practices.

2. Reviews: The Reality Check

I read both recent and older reviews, looking for patterns. But here's the kicker, not all negative reviews are actually negative. Some people want Harvard-level education for $10 and get mad when they don't become senior developers overnight.

Pro tip: Read negative reviews logically. Is the complaint valid, or is this person just having unrealistic expectations?

3. Duration: The Goldilocks Principle

You can't master JavaScript in 5 minutes, despite what YouTube thumbnails claim. I personally look for 20+ hours of content, but there's a sweet spot. Anything over 80 hours and I'll probably tap out before finishing.

Remember: Long doesn't always mean good, and short doesn't always mean incomplete. Reviews will help you figure out the difference.

YouTube and Me: A Complicated Relationship

Now, about my current situation, I'm a fullstack developer with questionable backend skills (you probably know this by now). The good news? I'm actively changing this narrative, and I'm 2 months into my Java redemption arc.

My YouTube Learning Strategy: The Masochist Method

Since I decided to torture myself with free education this time around, here's my approach to learning Java and Spring Boot through YouTube:

Step 1: The Reconnaissance Mission

• Search "Spring Boot tutorials"
• Filter for recent uploads (within 3 years)
• Look for substantial content (8+ hours)

Step 2: The Tutor Auditions I picked 3 different instructors for my Spring Boot journey:

• Telusko
• Daily Code Buffer
• Ali Bouali

Step 3: The Speed Run I watched ALL their videos at 2x speed first. Why? Because I'm either efficient or insane, depending on your perspective:

1. Get an overview of topics and their sequence
2. Find the teaching style that doesn't make me want to quit
3. Give my brain a preview of what's coming

The "9 Seasons" Revision Game

Here's where I got creative (or obsessive, you decide). I created a revision system that I call "seasons", like Netflix, but for Java concepts.

The Rules:

• Every topic I learn gets revised 9 times (Season 1-9)
• I created a "revision" directory in my GitHub repo
• After learning something new, I pause to revise everything from the beginning
• Goal: Have everything literally at my fingertips by the time I'm done

Current Status:

• 4 seasons on core Java ✅
• 3 seasons on Collections ✅
• 2 seasons on Generics ✅
• 1 season on Concurrency and Multithreading ✅

The idea is that by the time I finish learning Spring Boot, I won't have forgotten the core Java concepts. No more starting interviews strong and then blanking on basic concepts 10 minutes in.

Jarvis Wuod’s java_2.0 github_repo

My GitHub Confession

I created a repo called "java_2.0" (because java_1.0 was... let's not talk about it). You can check it out at github.com/jarviswuod/java_2.0, though fair warning; it's currently naked as a newborn baby with no README to guide you. I'll dress it up eventually. 😅

The Plan: Everything I learn, relearn, or unlearn in Java goes into this repo. It's my public accountability system and future employer showcase all rolled into one.

The YouTube Struggle: The Hidden Costs of "Free"

YouTube is amazing, you can literally learn anything and become an expert at it. The possibilities are endless, and all you have to spend is... oh wait, just your time, sanity, and mental health. No big deal. 🙃

The Real YouTube Tax

What YouTube doesn't charge in money, it charges in:

• Time: Endless hours finding the right tutorial
• Mental Energy: Planning your own learning path
• Frustration: Dealing with inconsistent quality
• Confusion: Jumping between different teaching styles
• Stress: Never knowing if you're learning the right things in the right order

I've spent more time researching which Java tutorial to watch than actually watching Java tutorials. It's like spending an hour deciding what to watch on Netflix and then falling asleep during the opening credits.

The Language Lottery

Here's a fun game: Search for any programming tutorial and count how many are in languages you don't understand😅. Bonus points if the English ones have audio quality that sounds like they're broadcasting from Mars.

The Reality: That "perfect" tutorial might be taught by someone whose microphone was apparently a potato wrapped in aluminum foil.

The Honest Truth About My YouTube Journey

Why am I putting myself through this YouTube masochism when I could just buy a course?

Reason 1: The Experiment I want to experience what it's actually like to learn something complex purely through YouTube. Call it educational research or call it stubbornness. I'm committed to seeing this through.

Reason 2: The Ego Trip I thought I could do it because I'd learned some concepts this way before. Little did I know those previous concepts were building on solid foundations I got from premium courses. Learning from scratch on YouTube? That's a whole different beast.

Reason 3: The Broke Mindset I convinced myself I was broke and should learn for free. Plot twist: It's not actually free. I'm paying with massive amounts of time, frustration, and the occasional existential crisis at 4 AM when my code doesn't work.

Current Status: I'm definitely not too broke to invest in a premium course anymore. The time cost is making me reconsider my entire approach to upskilling/career development.

The Bottom Line: Time vs Money

Here's what I've learned after 2 months of YouTube-only learning:

Premium courses are like hiring a GPS for your learning journey. Sure, you can navigate using paper maps and asking random strangers for directions, but wouldn't you rather just arrive at your destination without the unnecessary detours?

YouTube is like exploring a new city without a map. You'll eventually figure it out, see some interesting side streets, and maybe discover something unexpected. But you'll also spend a lot of time lost, frustrated, and wondering if you're even going in the right direction.

My Recommendations

If you have money: Buy the premium course. Your future self will thank you when you're building projects instead of still trying to figure out which tutorial to watch next.

If you're actually broke (not just cheap): YouTube can work, but prepare for the long game. You'll need:

• Serious discipline to stick with your chosen instructors
• A structured plan (which you'll have to create yourself)
• Patience for the inevitable frustrations
• The wisdom to know when to invest in yourself

The Investment Mindset: Whether it's courses, coaching, certifications, or mentorship; investing in yourself gives the highest returns on investment on planet Earth. Consider it a bridge to the next level of your career, not an expense.

Final Thoughts: The Learning Paradox

The irony of this whole debate? I'm spending more time writing about learning methods than actually learning Java. 😂

But here's the real tea: There's no perfect learning method. Premium courses aren't magic bullets, and YouTube isn't educational hell. The best method is the one you'll actually stick with and complete.

My current Java relationship status: It's complicated, but we're working on it. Some days I want to delete everything and become a baker. Other days I'm up at 4 AM excited to learn about design patterns. Mixed emotions, but we're making progress.

To my fellow learning adventurers: Stop overthinking the method and start learning. Whether you're team Premium or team YouTube, what matters is showing up consistently and doing the work.

Now stop reading learning blogs (yes, even this masterpiece) and go write some actual code. Your career advancement won't happen by itself.

P.S. If you're reading this and thinking "this guy is sharing his Udemy credentials for free," hit me up. I meant it about being the Robin Hood of web development education. 😎

P.P.S. Dad, if you're reading this, you were right about YouTube being free, but you forgot to mention the hidden costs. Love you anyway!❤️

P.P.P.S. That GitHub repo is still naked, but my Java skills are slowly getting dressed. Progress is progress.