Since last week was about manual vs auto, here is a tip to help you work toward manual mode.

The tip is to "Learn the Exposure Triangle."  I mean really learn and think about each one of the legs of the triangle.  For example, learn when would you prefer one leg of the triangle over the other two to control light or the lack of light.  Then think about how you could make sure that you get the effect that you want to achieve.  This can be done by setting the leg of the triangle to the setting you want and then use the other two to achieve the desired exposure.

Don't limit yourself to settings in the camera.  Think about how you can change the subject's exposure to the light.  Can you take the photo at a different time, can you add flash, can you move the subject to another location, or can you bounce light to the subject?