Get the skill before going for the money.
Wait a second... you've missed something.
How about another start:
trading is not for everybody. Trading is risky, trading needs learning, trading needs a certain mental discipline (i.e. balls).
If one thinks he has all this, then he can start learning and playing with tiny amounts (and clearly no leverage).
And
then the other advises of yours start to make sense.
I do agree with you 100%. Day trading or short term trading is not for everyone even experts are not good in handling it at times. IMHO, trading is more of luck then about how much knowledge and skills you have. I always go for Hodling, since I feel more comfortable with that strategy.