PVE in this game is easy because it’s predictable, and the NPC pirates always fight the same way (they rush you and then keep shooting until they die). You can learn the basic game mechanics from PVE, but as the others have said, PVE combat won’t teach you PVP combat.
PVP in this game is strategy, from the way you fit your ships, to the intel that you gather, to how you fight. Players will act very different than PVE rats, and as the others have said, only way to learn it is to participate in it.
This game isn’t really solo; you need friends, and a lot of the interaction with corps, fleets, etc., happen based on trust rather than on what skills and ships you’re bringing to the table.
A lot of the newbies who try to grind it solo end up grinding it solo until they grow bored of it. Because if you get into the state of mind to accumulate things and “build” your character, it’s never done, you’ll never finish building it. You’ll never go “screw it, I’ll just jump into PVP and screw the consequences.” Quite a few of the PVP corps are set up to shower you with free stuff so you easily recoup your PVP losses, but a lot of newbies never get there because they decide to grind, solo, in high-sec, instead (it’s the worst way to play the game, as you’ll see first hand, shortly).
Do what you will, it’s your character and your game, but keep this in mind.