I agree some of them seem somewhat too vivid/saturated (especially the first one) but you seem to have an eye for this (since you're not new to photography! obviously) as you're seeing interesting close up shots of patterns etc. Maybe some of what seems a bit oversaturated is due to being outdoors and trying out larger apertures for less depth of field?? I'm just thinking having the lens fairly open if it was sunny might have caused a more saturated appearance.
I'm a long time film photographer, what made a lightbulb go on for me when I first got a digital camera was to ignore most of what I read online LOL!, and I started shooting all manual (set it at M and never went back to auto). My starting point is often the same I'd use shooting film, the biggest difference of course is adjusting the ISO. You might have a different a-ha moment than I did but you'll figure it out.
I shoot Raw too not JPEG, although my camera is DNG so it automatically produces both. I don't edit much, but had a heckuva time trying to edit when I first had a digital camera and was shooting JPEGs. I find that getting a proper exposure is key, and good framing and getting in focus etc. just as when shooting film.
I took a class too when I was new to digital so that helped I think. You'll get the hang of it, just a matter of things falling into place and making sense to you with using a different technology.
edit - I see you posted more, and I agree the exposure could make a difference. I can often print what I got in camera with nothing more than opening a photo in Photoshop and looking at it, other times I have to adjust contrast or brightness, that's about it. Maybe you were working on depth of field for your class and would need to think more about how you're adjusting your settings next time.
