Virtualbox all the way. That way, she can still run her day to day apps in macOS while only using virtualbox for the class. And here’s the best part - once she reaches the point where she knows the setup she likes, she can create a new VM and set it up cleanly and delete the old one. I would only use the boot camp option if she will need to connect to hardware. VirtualBox can be finicky when it comes to USB devices.

I thought I was rural but you’re a whole different level

After 11 years of no TV, we just purchased one so that our 2 year old won’t have to stare at a phone screen to watch educational videos. After he leaves for college, I’d be happy to return to a no TV house.

To answer your question, my wife is a lifelong learner. She spends most nights reading or taking courses to further her career. I’m a hobby person - playing instruments, woodworking, 3d printing, electronics, house projects. If we want to watch a new movie, we’ll see it in theaters. We don’t have time for tv shows. We’ve never watched The Office, GOT, Breaking Bad, The Wire, etc. which makes for interesting double dates.