LR,
One thing to be aware of is that on some radios (Futaba specifically), you want to use negative expo to soften the center (I think Spektrum is opposite), so I tend to go with somewhere between -30% and -70% Expo on my controls with my Futaba 6EXAP. You can choose positive or negative on the controller, however. You should see it in the throws when you play around with it. I wouldn't go all the way to 100% on the controls, because Expo can hide your finger behavior and make for a worse pilot. Some of the old farts really decry the use of expo and tell their students to not bother and to learn without it. I agree that it will make you a better flyer if you learn without it, but it may come at a cost.
Have fun,
Curtis