Pretty similar situation here. Was told to experiment with mobile apps first, but after deciding to use my own computer went native instead. From a background in PHP and only very limited knowledge of how Obj-C works, I managed to get an app mostly finished in the best part of a fortnight.
The biggest hurdle was actually trying to create a native form; something which is remarkably difficult to find good resources for compared to other things.
Had I tried to learn in my own time, without the pressure of having to get something working at all, I would have spent months reading textbooks and learning how to write basic hello world apps.
Instead, I made more progress than I could ever have imagined just by being given a challenge and an idea of what to make. And that's sometimes the best learning experience you can get.
The biggest hurdle was actually trying to create a native form; something which is remarkably difficult to find good resources for compared to other things.
Had I tried to learn in my own time, without the pressure of having to get something working at all, I would have spent months reading textbooks and learning how to write basic hello world apps.
Instead, I made more progress than I could ever have imagined just by being given a challenge and an idea of what to make. And that's sometimes the best learning experience you can get.