I definitely respect you and your self-starting attitude. It's definitely true that school is expensive and impractical for some people's life's situation. The

I definitely respect you and your self-starting attitude. It's definitely true that school is expensive and impractical for some people's life's situation. The only thing I take issue with is that the experience can be compensated for in a period of 1-6 months. As you indicate correctly, there are other ways to become a designer outside of design school. In either case, however, it takes a lifetime of dedication and hard work. Reading a few books and designing a few websites is a good first step but it does not a designer make.