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A common misconception about Microsoft Tech is that it is either expensive or exclusive, requiring some sort of connection or enrollment in a Microsoft accredited institution. Fortunately, that is no longer the case. If you are a budding developer, you can hone your skills for free in a full-featured Microsoft 365 sandbox environment.
You can start by registering in this website:
https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/dev-program
NOTE: I am from the Philippines, and I had trouble confirming my identity using my mobile number. After a week of trying without success, I asked my brother in another country to send the code to him. It was successful. After registering, I changed my contact information back to my Philippine phone number.
The perks of it? A lot 😱😱😱
Here are a few examples. You also get your own preconfigured test users who are already fully configured, so you don’t have to learn fictitious scenarios.
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My personal opinion after using it for the past six months
It was fantastic. I signed up to learn SharePoint Framework (SPFx). It was very simple to find out what would happen to another user if I set certain permissions on my SP lists or webparts. I didn’t need to purchase another license because everything was already in place. When I needed to test certain premium features, I simply went to my Microsoft sandbox and tested them on the fly. So many wonderful things are available for free.
I hope you give it a shot as well.