[elwin]

There's a lot of good advice already, but here's one tip:

Learn how to read documentation. Consult man pages and official documentation before resorting to random people on websites. This is a skill that requires practice, because a lot of the material is mediocre. Some writers give overviews, some give examples, some list every feature. You may be more comfortable with one kind, but learn how to digest each one and extract the knowledge you need.