Regarding the walk around, take your time. I'm an almost there PPL but walk arounds have thrown up things which I have raised which were not previously spotted. Loose shimmy dampener, propeller ding, landing / nav lights inop, window strut thing broken, door seal loose, oil low etc.
Do it properly as it shows you know what you are up to and at the end of the day, when you do eventually solo, you want to know that the aircraft is sound as there's no-one in the rhs to sort it!.