googling an answer or coming here and posting or just using f1 search, is wording the question well. It's something you get better at with practice, but I still end up doing several searches to get the answer I want on occasion.

The hardest thing about being self taught is you tend to learn what you think you need to know, a good basic overview can save you a lot of time.
I haven't been on an MS course that didn't teach me something. I've never even got close to value for money though, not once.

Personally I think certification and education should be wholly separate.

I could write down all the steps to make a chair quite easily, if I built it you wouldn't want to risk sitting on it though, it would be wobbly and it wouldn't grace your dining room.