Slow approach to learning

This is the novice way of learning.

So far my approach to learning my camera, my mac and any software has been by doing. The disadvantage is, once I face a problem I can't solve I just skip it and find another way to do things. So most likely there's plenty of things I could do in an easier way if I had a clue. And many things I don't do but could do if I knew they exist.

Like this autofocusing problem I've had for months now in low light shallow dof images. I try to autofocus in the eye but in most pictures find the sharpest part is right above in the hair and the eyes not.. I think at this point most of you could have told me why but as a total amateur I had no clue even what to ask. I thought it's the lens but then figured it wasn't.

Very often my days are busy and my few chances for photographs are back home in the evening, low light, family doing the evening stuff what ever - boring in the long run I know. And I thought it's ok, I just keep taking pictures, any pictures, and eventually I will learn. But I never did. Last night I was desperate, almost all pics out of the right focus. So tonight I sat by the table experimenting with autofocus trying to figure out why the focus is sometimes where I want but most often not.

And since I have no one to ask for advice I finally did what I should have done a long time ago - googled. And bingo, there was the explanation right away. If for some reason there are others as ignorant as I am here's what I found helpful:
Achieving better focus
Setting your focus point on Canon

So I decided to set a single focus point in the middle and experimented again (before this I had no clue you can actually set the focus point... might have been in the manual I never read). Then figured if I focus a little somewhat below the eye rather than in the eye I get, if not super, at least better results.

If someone knows a better way to do this, I'd be happy to try out.

Cheers!