Wanting to learn Data Science — where do I even start? Free or paid course recommendations needed

So I've been thinking about getting into Data Science for a while now and I finally want to commit to actually learning it.

A few things I want opinions on:

1. Online vs offline — does it actually make a difference like i dont think anybody is giving me job just because i have learned through a specific institute etc will it ?

2. Are there any good free courses that actually take you somewhere?

3. Is a paid course like those on Coursera, Udemy, or Scaler actually worth the money, or can you get the same thing for free?

4. Any YouTube channels, specific playlists, or learning paths you actually finished and would recommend?

5. What's a realistic roadmap — like how long before I can actually do something useful or put it on a resume?

i dont want road maps etc i just want to know how would you learn data science and land a job i think i can manage some refferals too i just want a good source for learning