The Blank Slate: How Did You Learn Design?

I graduated from the Art Institute back in 2000, and set out into the world to become a Graphic Designer. But what I found was that no employer cared where I went to school or what degree I held. They were only interested in my design experience and what my portfolio contained. Since I had no real world experience, my portfolio contained very little professional examples of my work, only personal or student projects.In fact, in the 10+ years of my professional career, no one has asked about where I went to school or my degree. I have even come to believe that more of my design education has come from professional experience and working with other designer versus classroom experience. That's not to say that the Art Institute is not doing a good job, it's a wonderful school and a great place to start your journey as a designer. But I'm curious to know...

How Did You Learn Design?

Did you go to school? Are you self-taught through online tutorials and research? What do you feel is best for new designers starting out in this day and age of information being readily available at our fingertips? Go to school, become an intern, follow other designers, or learn from online tutorials and articles? There is a multitude of options available... What worked best for you?