I didn’t really have a problem, but it does throw a lot at you. Do you recall where you got stuck? Remember while there is a story, once you get past the intro where your ship is impounded and they give you a shuttle, you can basically do what you want. F1 shows you all the controls, and don’t forget to use C for the system overlay. SUPER important. Mining and salvaging are great early ways to earn money, as are taxi missions.
Oh also change the controls in the options so your ship follows the mouse cursor. Makes maneuvering and combat SO much better.