Hi Michaeli, welcome to TalkBeer! Here's a few random thoughts and musings from me:
-Try a mix of local/regional beers as well as the larger/more well established national brands (things like Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, Stone, Firestone Walker, Bells, Boulevard, etc.). This will give you a good baseline of knowledge both in terms of a variety of styles, and how your local options compare to the most standard offerings. Go for basic styles to get a feel for things: pale ales, pilsners, IPAs, porters, red ales, etc. then branch out into other offerings. If you're going to experiment, do it with flights at breweries (or bars if they offer them).
-If you're going to worry about something, make it freshness. Specifically for things like hoppy beers, try to avoid products like IPAs and pale ales that have been sitting out on the shelf of a store for months at a time. Don't let anyone convince you that a beer canned two weeks ago is "too old", but keep in mind that some stuff isn't not going to taste as it should 4-6+ months in, especially if it hasn't been refrigerated. To that end, be sure to try hoppy beers on draft at your local bars/restaurants/breweries for the best experience with them and idea of how they should taste when fresh.
-DON'T CHASE HYPED BEERS. If you happen to go to a store or bar and they've got CBS or whatever, sure grab it and try it if you want. But work on getting a good base feel for what you enjoy beer-wise, instead of worrying about dumb beer geek ****.
