There are several very useful information resources around the web, about NMS – but personally, I think the best way to learn these kinds of games is to do exactly what you did: just jump right into it. Follow the in-game story lines until you realize that they’re starting to repeat themselves, do all of the primary tasks and maybe some of the secondary tasks… do everything the “hard” way, before you start seeking out easier ways. I think you’ll learn better to appreciate the incredible diversity of the game, simply by going through all of the hoops. Plus, by running around and exploring/hunting/searching, you will by default be exposed to more of the in-game lore and the story-behind-the-story… which, IMHO, is the real gem in the game.

That said, I will offer some very mild spoilers:

• Keep an eye out for all of the different kinds of storage upgrades. Those become absolutely critical very fast!
• And when you reach this point in the game… don’t necessarily take the first “free” freighter that’s offered to you. (The second one is supposed to be a better class.)

Enjoy, fellow Traveler!