All opinions are my own personal opinion, and in no way affiliated with anyone else.
So don't sue me.
Please.
Where to start
It can be a scary thing, when you have your first look at the rapidly expanding world of cryptocurrencies. Different coins, different values, markets, the concept of wallets, blockchain, scams, security, faucets... The list goes on!
Fortunately for you, hundreds of thousands of people, probably millions, have taken the path before you. They have grown with Cryptos, some for the last 8 years, and have left a detailed roadmap that ANYONE can follow. Yes, anyone.
That is, anyone willing to put in the time to learn.
There are many places to start, but I would advise you to join Bitcointalk, the largest forum for Bitcoin and altcoin.
Here, you can participate in many things (Ill get to this later) which will greatly increase your understanding and knowledge of Cryptos.
My Thinking
You must understand what is going on in the Crypto world. Investment is at its highest level ever, and it's not slowing down any time soon. Prices for Bitcoin and various "alternative Coins" have increased dramatically since the start of December. As I write this, the price of a Bitcoin hit $19500. Let that sink in. In 2014, a coin was around the $200 - $500 mark. It is the fastest growing market in the world right now, so getting on board is a good start!
Think about this : WaBi (Which is an Altcoin, one of many alternatives to Bitcoin) has already been introduced in China to securely trace and sell baby food in the chinese market. It is already being used for daily, small scale transactions by the biggest population on Earth. Over the next few years, integration with daily life will mean unprecedented growth of the market (Cryptocurrencies), meaning, Congratulations!
Be a part of the community, engage
The most important step you can take into the world of cryptos, is to engage with people who are using the technology. Ask questions on forums, you will most likely get an informative answer. The more you engage with the community, the more involved and invested you will become. Be patient, research, ask questions. You will learn at a steady pace, and suddenly, it wont all be so daunting.
There are many ICOs ("Initial Coin Offerings") which are underway right now, looking for new people to join. I would suggest joining a few early on, as it will help you grasp the idea of Altcoins.
DeepOnion is my favourite, it has a strong, driven community, and a great Dev team that work tirelessly to make it a success! I highly recommend joining now, as airdrops (initial coin offerings given out for free to early adopters)are more than half way finished!
Remember, it's the journey, not the destination.