Okay, I'll start by saying I'm in a somewhat similar position but more experienced. This is probably more than you want but it hopefully it will answer your question in a detailed way... My first time I got "tipsy"-"drunk" I was feeling great. It is kinda hard to rate how drunk I was because the scale is different now with tolerance I've developed. But it was so great that the second time I went drinking, I planned to get
wasted because it just has to be that much better, right? Wrong haha. The second party I went to ended up with multiple "purge-ings".. from the actual night (which I don't really remember) and the hangover in the morning.
Almost a year later, I'm in somewhat of the same position. I've been drinking on a daily basis for a few months so I guess I can get the position of an "experience noobie drinker". If I were to start over in your position, I'd try to be a "mature" drinker. Every time I'm sober I think 'Yes, being tipsy is the perfect place to stop.' and I'm right, its great fun without the after effects. Being drunk probably isn't too bad either (at least on my scale), although you will most likely do at least one thing you'll regret in the morning.
Plastered on the other hand, is something you don't want to do (especially if your not surrounded by friends who can accept you making a fool out of yourself). You won't be multi-tasking at all (in other words if you say your going to the refrigerator, that's whats your gonna do and you can't concentrate on anything else but moving your ass to that refrigerator). You won't see very much except where your footsteps are going, and this is (for me) basically all I concentrate on. Being "plastered" will most likely make you forget (or ignore) any restrictions you put on yourself as far as drinks go and prepare yourself for some "non-stop" drinking! Because your invincible when your plastered, ha! (Really though, when your plastered its really easy to drink more shots and all because you barely even taste it, which is very dangerous) The actions (things you say or do) that you take for granted when your plastered will seem rude or inappropriate the next day... TRUST me.
Anyway as I said I consider myself an "experience noobie". Drink till you get tipsy and stop. Contrary to a new drinkers belief, drunken-ness will not get better as you get drunker, you will simply get sicker past the point of tipsy lol. So I hope I have told you how it feels properly lol. Almost everyone has that one lesson that will teach them all these lessons and hopefully stop there, so I'm not sure how much this will help, but good luck and have fun
(P.S. I'm 9 beers in as of submitting this message (a .11% BAC according to some website), I just found this website so this is my first post. Talking about being drunk while drinking is at the top of the list of priorities while drunk)