Whilst you have have some good advice im going against some of it while you are learning.
1 shoot anything and every thing that flies past
2 Dont worry about which way round it is or which way up
3 Try different focus point options,i find single center is the quickest for me to locate focus,if i lose focus i find single is best to get it back
4 I use matrix metering as i find it the best
Following this advice will lead to a lot of crap shots but you will be practicing target location,focus location and panning,its also good practice to take subjects that are too small as it again is honing the skill you are after
Just my thoughts