Your mode dial isn't a ladder to climb from beginner to expert — each mode is a legitimate tool, even for professionals.
Auto hands everything to the camera — fine when you need a fast shot with zero creative decisions, but it can't know you want a blurred background or frozen splash.
Aperture Priority is what most photographers use most often: you set aperture (your strongest creative opinion, usually), the camera handles shutter speed. Shutter Priority flips that — useful when freezing or blurring motion is the priority.
Manual gives you full control of all three settings. It sounds harder than it is — once you understand the exposure triangle, Manual is really just Aperture and Shutter Priority combined, with nothing left for the camera to guess. It becomes essential in inconsistent lighting (stages, backlit subjects) where automatic metering keeps getting fooled.
A natural progression: Auto → Aperture Priority for a few weeks → Manual once adjustments feel intuitive rather than mysterious. Plenty of photographers stay in Aperture Priority permanently and get excellent results — there's no required finish line.