Searching for intro. to Xcode 3 and C++

I am in my first year of a computer science program at SFSU, and until now have been trudging through using g++ in the Unix command line. I have installed Xcode 3, to see if it can make the process of coding a little bit easier, but is has opened its own can of worms; to much information, to the point of being overwhelmed. I have read quite a few tutorials and references for Xcode, including trying to get through Xcode 3's own documentation, but little is bridging the gap, and giving me a sense of comfort/knowledge that I have much sense of what is going on. I would love to scratch the surface of Xcode, and grow with it as I expand my programming skills, but at this time, it seems daunting.

I have also gone through the books & reviews on the subject at Amazon, but again find little for those of us truly near the beginning. I'm not a developer, would not consider myself a programmer (perhaps someday), but someone who is looking for a good place to start.

I would appreciate any suggestions and/or recommendations.

Thanks much!
Ray~