To expand on that you are likely on Windows if the percentages means anything, Windows 10 Pro is required to run VMs on your local machine.
I’d recommend grabbing a second machine to be your homelab, even if it’s not great, just so you don’t mess anything up locally.
If you go with a second machine you can put win10pro on it and not activate it and then host VMs. Or there are other ways to get keys for pro. Completely legally of course.
Windows server (load a VM and load STANDARD not Dataserver) 2019 and 2022 both have evaluation versions. You can load these up, install any features you want to try, test any labs in any modules of any courses you’re taking, then nuke and reload if necessary.
If you’re not familiar with Linux try Ubuntu, Manjaro, and Fedora. Learn to install a few things from the GUI stores and the CLI repositories. Learn how to add repositories. Learn how to copy, move, make, delete, rename files/directories.
Then start a project. Something silly or stupid like a media server, backup server or download station. Build that out with your new knowledge, push your boundaries.
It might seem like a bit much but there are practical questions on the exam where you have to work through things in a VM and it isn’t just a multiple choice question. You’ll feel a lot better being comfortable in an environment.
On top of that that practical experience will come in handy in interviews.
Beeper is great but you have no idea what they’re doing with your data.
This is work, and I still think there’s a niche between the two, with an assembled docker rather than ansible playbook, that is going to be the one that takes off.