As others have said focus on finding a group of close leveled folks to group with, if you get lucky you come across a couple players with the same schedule as you and will end up with a steady partner or 2.
Any class quests worth doing wont be til later on, and any part that is low level will be a breeze to run through by then.
Ask, in group, questions you may have during downtime between pulls if there is any.
As far as maps and figuring out where to go, notice specific landmarks as you travel. After 6-7 years of being away from Norrath, I was able to easily find my way around less common zones based on landmarks I recalled from my time on live, and of course the help of EQAtlas maps.
And remember, unlike many of the newer games, mobs won't quit chasing you until you break agro by using Feign Death(Monk, Necro), or zoning. So don't beleive you've outrun them just because you don't see them, they're still coming.
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