Lots of good comments!
All AOW classes are not the same because the instructor makes the class, as you’ve already heard. I got my AOW in March. It setting up my class, I struggled in deciding which specialities to take, in an effort to get the greatest usable value from the coarse.
Ultimately, I was disappointed with what I got out of my AOW class. On the positive side, yes I got a card and was exposed to a number of specIalities, which had “learning value“. That learning value could also been obtained by Diving, Diving, Diving, as you’ve heard before.
If one is having a hard time getting in quality dives with experienced divers for those learning experiences, then the AOW class is a good way to go. The AOW class likely gets one those learning experiences more quickly, but at an additional cost.
Suggestion: Find a good instructor in an environment that exposes you to new dive experiences and ignore the need for a specific certification agency.
Option: if you have a specific diving learning objective, a dive class may not be the best. Instead pick the brain of a knowledgeable instructor and do a dive or dives with him/her to met your objectives..... no cards earned, but you’ve likely met your objective for less money.