RTFM!

Before I go over with some photography jargons,  let me share with you the first and most important tip if you really want to get serious with photography.  This is the classic RTFM or Read That Freaking Manual.  I do not have the empirical data to prove this, but it is my belief that more than half of camera users never bother to read the User's Manual.  It is not uncommon for people to ignore a button or a dial on their camera simply
because they do not know its function.  Some camera owners are more than happy once they have identified the button for taking pictures and the button for immediate viewing.

You do not need to read the manual from cover to cover in one sitting (fantastic if you can do that), but make sure to spend at least fifteen minutes a day reading a portion of the manual and immediately applying what you have read.  Or you may do the reverse. Apply or experiment a function in your camera and then read about that particular function afterwards.  As long as you read the manual in whatever pace or manner you are comfortable with,  you will be able to take advantage of the wonderful features and functions of your camera.