This area was a void, so I decided to make some comments here.
People smarter than I, have suggested that General is the way to go. I agree. Passing the Tech exam gets you not much other than a handy-talkie with its operating privileges. They are actually not much.
Consider, as you study for Tech, what a small learning step in might be for you to test... for the same money and at the same day as you test for Tech, to stay a while longer in the testing room, pass the General, and get better access to HF bands than a Tech has. Those added bands for you to learn, are real important if you're going to be a real 'nuff prepared ham.
If your goal is for Tech, that is not much of a goal. It does not achieve you much at all. If you upgrade your thoughts some, you can easily get General on the same day as you get your Tech, and for no more money. Others have talked about how the friendly testing room works, and their advice is spot on.
On this board, there is plenty of good advice as to how to study to pass a durned FCC test, where all the questions and right answers are in the public domain. All those answers are on on-line tests. Repeat, all the answers are on on-line tests, available to you. All a person needs to do to pass the FCC written tests in this internet age, is to just pick a place to test online ( I picked the testing system on eHam), and just start hammering the tests and learning the questions, and the right answers.
I did the General on eHam about 24 times before feeling confident that I'd seen most of the questions. Even at that, when I tested, I saw a question I'd not seen before.
My test was on a Saturday and the study guides for Tech and General arrived in the mail on the Tuesday afternoon prior. By Thursday morning, I knew that I was hosed as far as studying for General... I could say the words and even spell them, but had no clue what they meant. I was about ready to give it up. By phone, I was advised to put down the study guides and get on the 'puter and start hammering out the tests. This on eHam, the turnaround is real fast and it gives you input on your wrong answers.
I got it done by learning the right answers to the asked questions, by hammering it out on the computer. Three times in morning, three times in afternoon. All that is needed for the 25m stage of fire, is to know the questions and their right answers. The learning of radio comes later, as does hitting a target in a crosswind at 500 yard after you have passed the 25m benchmark, that being passing the durn tests. I suggest that you do whatever crutch-sort of learning to pass FCC testing now in order to learn what you don't know. And then learn the bands from there.
After getting General, you will feel as if you are on top of the world. Know that feeling for what it is, you are above your peers by about 5x, but you still will know nothing about radio until you get on HF and find that you actually know nothing. It's a friendly uphill curve from that point. People get hooked on the learning of HF radio.
Some people see HF radio's use from what they might hear: rag chewing, scheduled events, etc. Other people see HF radio for its potential... and it has much potential when internet and cell phone comms are compromised due to one thing or another. Say again, HF has potential when internet and cell phone comms are "compromised." Learn HF, now.
Best time to get licensed is right now. Best time to learn the HF bands is right now. Later times will not allow for the excuses of why the learning was not done (try explaining that to your grandkid of whatever age) why you did not do the right thing as your time in these days did not allow for a concept larger that the big screen TV.
Just sayin' as BTPostt in AK sez. I've been wrong before.
On this topic, I can't help but give a real hard hat tip to Idial1911. I was told that he got his Extra in a real short time, I respect that effort. Much.
