Being new to modeling will probably be beneficial since you won't be bringing any baggage along and you'll be able to focus on how Blender works, not on how some other program operates.

Learning your hot keys is a big help with Blender. When I started  I printed off the list of hotkeys and taped it up beside my monitor for reference.

Another thing is to relax and not worry about how hard you've heard Blender is to learn. Being nervous makes it more difficult retain information.

Keep in mind while you are trying to figure something out in Blender (or any other 3D application) that it's for fun, if it doesn't work you can try again, nothing is going to explode or burst into flames.:laugh:

On the subject of Blender's difficulty, any high end 3D application has a steep learning curve. It always amazes me when people that "use" ZBrush complain about the Blender UI......ZBrush has a horrible UI too and let's not even go into Lightwave.....complaints about hotkeys....3DMAX is full of them IF you want best efficiency.

Learning new software comes down to focusing on the task at hand, taking small steps and building a solid foundation in the basics before you try the more advanced bits. Go at your own pace and enjoy yourself.