ALWAYS get an instructor to teach you. If not, you might as well put your plane, wallet, and credit cards in a pit and light them on fire.

It took me a while to get my wings, but that's because I was in a bad training program. Not enough stick time. I did solo, sort of, on my first flight. I didn't have a buddy box. The instructor took it up and handed me the controller, then told me what to do. He never had to take it back until it was time to land.