Is using PhoneGap for your first ever mobile app a good idea?

Question

I am a beginner programmer. I've gotten an AS degree in CS which exposed me to the basics of c++, data structures, and algorithms and have light experience with html/css/javascript from just messing around building my own basic websites. I am no where near a proficient professional programmer as of yet.

My question is, would using PhoneGap to attempt to develop my first "app" for android/ios/whatever be a good idea or should I start out making native apps first?

With all the hype over html5/javascript at the moment, PhoneGap seems too good to be true for a beginner like me.

Thoughts? pros/cons?