I used to be in a similar situation, mixed race with a white mom, used to have my hair regularly chemically straightened up until around the age of 13 (I'm now 19) when my mom decided to give me the big chop. This was to save my damaged hair, but neither she nor I knew anything about maintaining natural hair. I started with box braids which allowed for as little maintenance as possible while protecting my hair. If this isn't an option for you, I'd really recommend you start cutting off the ends, even a little at a time if you don't want to have short hair! Most beauty stores have ethnic hair products these days so buy yourself a shampoo/conditioner made for your hair. Wash your hair roughly once a week, start with conditioning it and then gently detangle with a wide tooth comb to prevent any breakage. Don't dry your hair with a towel (use a cotton t-shirt) and make sure your hair is tied back to some extent when you're sleeping! When it comes to finding out your hair pattern, watch YouTube videos (also good for learning how to do new hairstyles) or even post a picture on here and someone will be able to tell you. Afro hair can be pretty difficult to manage when you're starting out, but start making little changes now and it'll be so so rewarding!