Congrats! I'm in midtown Atlanta with a WR Blue BRZ, which is also my first manual car and it has been fantastic. But still I truly hope this car would have hill start assist. Yea yea skillful drivers don't care etc etc. But getting stuck in traffic on a long uphill (common here...) really isn't the best experience for a new guy.
Change the old OEM transmission fluid may improve the shifting feeling quite a lot. It's safe to bet that the previous owner never changed it throughout thr 13k miles, as the owners manual says you don't need to.
You may want to read this:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46208
DIY guide is here:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19218