I can second that a class is a great way to get your license. I have done it both ways. I originally got an Alaska Remote Rivers license many, many years ago. I went the route of taking a class. 3 days of class, the testing and was pretty much done other than the paperwork which the school walked us through and submitted for us.
When I found myself in Texas and needed to upgrade to a near coastal license which would be good up to 100 mi offshore I decided to do it all myself and save the money the class would cost. I studied for months and practice tested on the computer almost 400 times. I ended up buying a license test book, Chapmans Piloting, and Bowditch which set me back well over $100. I drove 200 mi. to the REC in Houston spent money on a hotel and meals and spent 1-1/2 days taking 4 test modules. I passed 3 without any problem but took 3 tries to get the Rules of the Road module passed successfully with the required better than 90% score. I was really sweating the Rules module due to the fact that if I failed it the 3rd time I would have to start the testing process over from the beginning and make another trip back to Houston.
I am quite proud of the fact that I did it myself and I learned a great deal in the course of my studies, but if I had to do it over again I would take a class and save myself a lot of time and unnecessary aggravation.
