The Challenges of Flying
Not everyone has trouble learning to fly a helicopter, but many do. The reason that we have trouble is that we don't pay attention to the changes in altitude that an aircraft makes. Since we are new to flying, we are more interested in the sensory experience around us, and lose focus on what is important: keep you up in the air. The key to successful and smooth flying is to pay attention to small changes in altitude and respond with small adjustments. Think of it as preventative medicine: If you wait until you have bronchitis there is not much you can do except endure the illness and hope to survive. But if you notice the symptoms early on you can respond with immediate treatment and stave off infection before you are truly in danger and in need of serious medical attention.
FLYING AT NIGHT
One of the requirements of your license will be flying cross-country at night. This is a tough step in the journey, since you need to adjust to all sorts of new conditions, but you will have your instructor by your side. I recommend you kill two birds with one stone: take your flight out to an airport that is at least 50 nautical miles away and stay in the air for at least two hours. This way you will fulfill not only the night flying requirement, but also the Commercial aeronautical experience portion of your certification.
BUYING A HELICOPTER
Once you have your certificate, you have a tough choice to face. You are now able to fly a helicopter, but how do you get access to one? I recommend that if at all possible, purchase your own. I know I have, and I am entirely happy with my Raven II model by Robinson. The prices might be prohibitive (you're looking at around $300,000) to most pilots, but there are a couple ways of getting around this. The first is to look at purchasing a used model from a flight school. They keep their equipment in top shape, and since you've most likely learned on that R22 that they sell, you will be completely familiar with it.
The other option is to split the cost with someone else. Knowing that unless you are using the helicopter for a business use you may only fly it occasionally, perhaps there is another student or two that would be interested in splitting the cost in exchange for splitting flying time. Since you will have to keep the helicopter at a hangar anyway, this will also split the maintenance costs and allow you to enjoy your flights without footing the entire bill yourself.