It’s never a bad idea to prioritize classes based on your interests. True there are things you can learn on your own, but classes focus your attention. In research you’ll generally be in a better position to contribute to areas that really fascinate you.

Most people start out that way. At some point either during or after writing your thesis, you’ll realize that you are the expert on that topic. And sometime later you’ll realize that all your heroes are or were mere mortals. Hang in there