I been thinking about this one for awhile now and I wonder. Is it better to build a new computer from scratch or build one from a barebone kit. Since this will be my first build ever outside of class, I was just curious about this.

Depends, if you don't have an OS and you are building an extremely cheap computer, it might be best if you get a PC from Dell or HP. Because most of the budget would go to the OS.
 
On the other hand, if you do have an OS (Or even if you don't) and want to build a gaming PC with a decent budget ($700+), then it's probably best if you build it yourself, the bigger the budget the more you will save in comparison to a similar PC from a system builder like Dell.
 
Barebones, those I never liked, always found them rather pointless, You can just buy better parts on your own.