newbie carpenter's first miter saw fail has me questioning my life choices

so im 6 months into carpentry and decided to tackle my first crown molding job on a buddy's kitchen remodel. grabbed my new dewalt 12-inch sliding compound miter saw, all excited to make those perfect 45-degree cuts. first one goes fine, but on the second im rushing and the board slips, damn near takes my thumb off. now the whole thing looks like a drunk tried to frame it with a hatchet. saw a similar screw-up story on r/woodworking last week, guy ended up calling a pro. anyone got tips for a total noob to not destroy the next project? watched that essential craftsman video on saw safety but still managed to mess up.

haha sounds like my first go at baseboards, turned it into modern art. just breathe and use clamps next time, saves thumbs and sanity.

warning: never freehand crown on a slider without stops. had a guy in the shop lose part of a finger last year rushing like that. stick to the basics till you got the feel.

frustrated as hell with apprentices who ignore the basics. spent half my morning fixing a similar botch job today, had to recut every piece. slows everything down and pisses off the client.

start with scrap pieces to practice angles, dewalt's got good bevel stops but you gotta lock em down tight. measure from the long point on inside corners for crown. should get you cleaner lines quick.