Be patient with your progress. Everything takes time to be proficient, whether it be md'ing, ice skating, fishing...don't get frustrated if you don't pull what you want (silver, relics, etc) right away. The at pro is a fantastic tool (you may never want another detector) but like any tool it takes a certain amount of time to become proficient and much more time than that to 'master'. And like anything else, the more you practice the faster you will become better.
I ran the at pro for my first few months of detecting and did fairly well i.m.o. in a challenging environment (urban areas...lots of trash...lots of other detectorists). My advice, under most circumstances, is to run pro mode, full sensitivity, zero discrim. That way your brain will get as much information as possible, and the neural connections in your brain that will end up forming your proficiency will develop faster. Just like a baby: the more you talk to it the faster it will learn a language / the more you let your detector say to you the faster you will learn its language.
Edit: also, research the crap out of your area. Maps, historic aerials, library materials, the old dude who knows all kinds of facts about the town. Beyond the obvious that knowing the history of your area will increase your chances of success, it may also lead to you becoming more hungry for digging up coins and relics of said history. also, being able to speak intelligently about my areas history has lead to some promising permissions. The property owners were intrigued about what I told them about their local history and were also convinced that I was legit and not some d-bag just wanting to score some treasure.
