the point is to pick an app and stick with it.  i know people who have been hopping back and forth between 3D suites for a decade now and still can't model for shit.

a lot of people read about new features in xxxxx program and think its going to do most of the modeling work for them.  the reality is that there is no magic 'make model' button unless you just want to make a sphere (well, Max can make you a teapot). some apps have shortcuts for certain surfaces but unless you learn the fundamentals of modeling youre just going to hit a wall the moment you encounter a complex surface.

the basics of poly and sub-D modeling are the same across all apps. if you really do have a copy of Max, then stop worrying about what app youre using and start doing some tutorials and learning how to model.  Max has been an industry standard 3D suite for over a decade and its not going to hold you back any. a simple google search for '3ds/Max modeling tutorial' will net you thousands of results.