Hm. SuperVGA, I've got your point. But however it's always better to do what you really want to do. Actually you can cook an egg in few different ways. So you can spent time on figuring out all possible ways of an egg cooking or do smth else. It's only your very own choice. And I believe if you going that way it will lead you to success. You're very own success.
I believe also that "The wisest men follow their own direction" (I've played CIV IV enough to remember that kind of quote
),but whenever I get the opportunity to school another person who is eager to learn programming, I suggest them to start with baby steps.
If I had done small projects to start with, who knows, maybe I would've been less excited and thus quit on those as well.
And I sincerely do think that programmers cradled with that sort of thinking will be better off. (off as in "to begin with")