Right. This is where a teacher or mentor can really speed things along by being able to hear you want to achieve X, and suggest you study the fields of Y and Z.

Right. This is where a teacher or mentor can really speed things along by being able to hear you want to achieve X, and suggest you study the fields of Y and Z. Ed: and beyond simply pointing out areas the student isn't aware of, also suggesting connections between fields - like linguistics and computer science, for example.