I think i never really died in those low ranks. It takes something like 15 min to get to R5 or so... just go out and kill some mobs.
The leves are usually very easy almost no brainer. Unless you attack more than 1 group of aggro mobs and selected too many stars you should not really have a problem.
i have seen some people die but not because the mobs are too hard, but because by the time they select the second mob they get killed already. Some people who are new to MMO, or FF react slow and it takes them quiet some time to deselect the dead mob and select the next one and that can end bad if you fight a group of mobs.
I have noticed that a lot, when you team up with people, by the time they draw their weapon you already kill the mob....