Newbie, going for PPL.
I just worked my butt off and spent every penny on flying, and spent my spare time going over pilots notes to learn more about the aircraft. I was cheeky with building the hours to the initial award, as my flight club charged by tacho hour, so on solo flights I would practice a lot if lie speed work. Low RPM settings=lower cost.
I also had an instructor who liked to "explore the envelope" on sorties. Make sure you get spin training carried out. It is not a requirement, but it is a)ridiculously fun and b)essential for unusual attitude recovery, if that's your kick!