There’s so much that isn’t directly covered in a dive certification class. Like most sports you get better the more you participate. I would say all sports are a personalized endeavor but diving is a very gear oriented sport so it has more things to personalize. There’s no short cut to diving experience and the experience gained will be different for every diver. I often get paired with new divers on dives and I always ask a few questions about their experience so I can base the dive plan on what they have already done. I always check their buoyancy and will have them surface if needed to give instruction so they can make the corrections. It sounds like you took what’s needed from the class to be aware of your equipment and make adjustments so it works for you and makes for a more comfortable dive.