Well, going soil for the first time would be a good idea, because soil grown plants are more forgiving (overfertilization, etc). If something goes wrong in a hyroponic system, the plant can die in just a matter of hours. But, if you do alot of research and buy books, you can pull a hydroponic grow off. Books are a must. Me, I like hydroponics because it provides 300% growth compared to the soil growing method.