Newbie from IL. Not sure where to start…

Posted this in the Noob sub and was told the state specific one would be most helpful.

Complete beginner with no background trying to figure out how to get started.

From what I’ve learned nothing can be done without a FOID card. So that seems to be step 1.

Question how long does that usually take?

Assume once the FOID is received I can go to a range and take a safety or basics lessons because I was told without it a course could not be taken either.

After this , I was planning to rent at the range to figure out what works best for me. However, I’m told that I wouldn’t be able to rent unless I already own my own or come with someone who does? Unfortunately I don’t know anyone who does , so was wondering in this case how would I go about trying to see what works best for me?

Any feedback is appreciated on how to get started and do it in the right way.