One of the best things one can do when learning any kind of language (if you are just starting out programming) is to not only to learn snippets of code, but to understand why things work the way they do. Don't be afraid to look at other people's code and run down in your mind what it does like the computer would. This will give you better insight into future projects where things may not be as clean as other conditions. It will also help you to find creative solutions to the problems that you need solved. Looking through completed code will also teach you how programs are structured.

Just a tip. Something I learned long ago...