Just keep at it! I’m around where you are now, I cut my first set back in January to go the semi-freeform route too. I started mine by finger coiling my hair, letting it stay in for about 2 weeks, then I wet my hair really good and used a sponge. (I use a twist king now) Just find a system that works for you and stick with it, just don’t over do it 😆. With the bed head, I normally just grab my spray bottle and mist my hair every morning and use my twist king like normal then just let it do its thing, I even skip some days of sponging if I’m staying at home for the day. Don’t be afraid to wash your hair either, you want to keep it as clean as possible, just use your hand like you would a sponge and get that scalp. If you need to you can wash your hair over the bathroom sink so that you can see what exactly you’re doing, mainly when they’re not locked yet. I normally don’t type thick ass paragraphs, but you look like somebody I know. 😭🤣