Ive had my D5000 for a few months now, and Im still over my head with stuff to learn. I read usually an hour or two a day, more on the weekends on tips, tricks, etc... It never ends. I still have a long way to go, but already have seen night and day differences between then and now.
Ive moved on from being on auto setting. I shot a lot with auto and its pre-programmed scenes when I first got it, but also looked at the EXIF data of every shot just to see what it was doing.
Now, I carry the camera in P mode for the most part when just out and about, but if I have time, I will use the a, s, or m mode.
Its a lot to take in, but keep reading, and practicing. I practice a lot at home too. Its nice to set it up on a tripod and take the same picture with different settings and see the huge differences.
Check out the assignments section of this site, Its a great way to learn new stuff as well!
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