There are numerous ways to learn but I can let you know what worked best for me. I started going to Grad school for Masters in CS, I got about 1/2 way done and felt I had no real world experience for which I could change my occupation. I found defining a problem and then coding to solve the problem to be the easiest way to learn. Come up with an idea and just start coding it. You will come across numerous issues but everything has been done before so the solution should be available through Google. I found studying for certification also helps, gives you a goal to strive for. Read a book like Code Complete before you start, pick a language, read up on the syntax on the web to gain a high level understanding, create a project idea, and code away.. Just my 2 cents
Christopher Pond Innovative Technology Solutions SpartanSoft.net.