One of the most important things you can do to make sure your PCB project goes off without a hitch is to be proactive from the moment of conception. As with many things in life, if you don't have a solid grasp of potential setbacks in your plans and how to combat them, you may have a recipe for disaster. While you can stand to benefit from an honest discussion with peers about their experiences, trials, and errors, educating yourself on the technical aspects of the most common defects and how to prevent them will serve you well for your entire PCB designing career. On top of boosting confidence in your process, knowing what to look out for (and how to prevent problems that could arise later on) will be a major asset in ensuring that your board will be the dependable, quality product you had in mind.