I feel your pain. Photography did confuse me at first.
I don't know much about how to pick an 'ideal' camera though. I had my camera (actually my dad bought it for general 'picture-snapping') before I even knew how to use it. I didn't even realize it's a D-SLR until my class taught me.
Your instructor is a good choice to ask. You could also ask the customer service in camera shops (and hopefully they'll be helpful). You can also try ask friends or colleagues into the photo biz as well.
From what little I've learned from various sources, you should buy a camera that best fits your criteria. There are cameras best for 'outdoors', which are best for taking landscapes, seascapes, rockscapes and such. There are cameras meant for still life (like the photos I do, since mine's a still life camera). There are movie cameras which are of course best for capturing videos. And a whole bunch of other kinds of cameras.
There are also different kinds of lens and accessories for each camera, but I can't elaborate more on that because I don't know anything at all about them.
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