if you're new to soldering, a couple of 'tips' for you
don't leave it on for long periods un used, this just wastes the bits life
Plug your iron into a timer, then set the timer for 30 minutes or so; if you forget to unplug or reset the timer, it will auto-shutoff.
clean it with a damp sponge - if the sponge is on the solder station, don't put the whole thing under the tap, just the sponge
A damp sponge is good for "final cleanup", but during a soldering session, it is better to use a brass or copper metal scrubbie (make sure it is metal, and doesn't have any soap on it - and don't use steel wool!); put the scrubbie into something heavy, like a 2 inch metal pipe cap (steel or copper). If you're cheap, you could even use a 2 inch ABS cap. When you need to clean off excess solder, just stab the iron into the scrubbie a few times.
The reason why you want to avoid a wet sponge is because when you use such a thing to wipe the tip off, you lower the temperature of the tip, and the iron has to recover; if you try to use the iron immediately after wiping, you can sometimes run into cold solder joints because the solder isn't flowing right.
Plus, there's the issue of the hot iron making steam, and causing hot solder/flux to pop and potentially hit you in the face - but you are wearing safety goggles, right?
personally i find small irons awkward to use, the flex weighs as much as the iron
What do you mean by "flex" - the cord? Perhaps; I was recently reading an old 1957 popular science, and they had an iron inside that was standalone and truly pencil sized; it looked perfect for SMT work (but that didn't really exist back then - though tight soldering could still happen). I wouldn't mind having an iron that small for some things...