You are getting a lot of confusing information and some of it is just plain misleading.
Download and read the USPA SIM as mentioned above by wolfriverjoe. Most of everything you are asking is in Chapters 1-4.
Note that different dropzones do things somewhat differently sand even have different names for the training sequence.
You'll want to go to each individual DZ to get the lowdown on what THEY do and how they do it.
So...save yourself some aggravation by reading the SIM Chapters 1-4 and go visit the DZs you are interested in and ask your questions directly to them.
Of particular interest is the 'vibe' of the DZ. You should go to each DZ BEFORE signing up just simply to get a feel for the place, how it works, and how the people get along. You may find that you would enjoy the atmosphere of one place better than the others - and that is very important.
Good luck!