This is also my first year growing and this forum has been helpful, but I know a few people that have been growing for like 20 years and I was told to keep the lights on 24/7 until they get about 10 inches from base to top, then you switch it to 12/12 so they will bud. I had em on 18/6 for a little while and they started to shrivel up, but after I turned it on 24/7 they shot up fast! I'm only 3 weeks in and my biggest plant is almost 10 inches. I've come to find out that putting it on 24/7 really helped them grow really fast!