Looking to make the Leap!

[A Canadian Cat]

I see raz has pretty much covered it. I agree with his advice to play against the AI to get going. The other thing you can do is let people know you are just starting out when you ask for your first ladder game - not that any of will go easy on you or anything:-) but you would very likely get an opponent willing to discuss things as the battles goes on or at the end and give you some advice.

Plus, do not be afraid of loosing - 'cause you will. Even the guys at the top of the ladder have a non trivial number of losses. "If you can't have fun at a game while you are loosing, you shouldn't be playing." Which is to say stick with it. In my first five games against a human opponent I managed only one draw the rest losses. Stick with it and discuss what happened in the battle and you will get better and do better.