There are a few areas that I recommend rookies to avoid. Two of the biggest are Smoke and Retracts.

The reason for this is that both of them require constant maintanance. A beginner has a lot more to be concerned with.

Once you get to the point where flying is as easy as a walk in the park, and you find you're even getting a little bored with it, THAT'S when you can start experimenting with "Extras"