These are all good points.
I made the switch when my beloved HD500X became unreliable and I had some gigs coming up.
I love the Pod Go. It seems simpler to program and edit. The Snapshots give you a flexibility within patches, setting up a clean rhythm and a dirty, louder lead without a pause, instantly switching effects or maybe increasing the amount of delay. Or all of the above. Now we can name and color-code the Snapshots, which is nice.
Some people are impatient with the number of effect blocks in the Go, but I've never found that limitation to be a problem. I use relatively simple patches for blues or classic rock sounds, so maybe that's why.
Plus the Go is smaller, useful when playing on small stages. And lighter, easier to pack in my gig bag.
On the other hand, if you're happier with your 500X, you can keep the money. You can probably rig up your own patches to mimic the sounds your instructor is getting.