I used to have the flickering shadows in beta. I haven't noticed them since, either they stopped or I'm used to them. I think the former!

All the other points are valid in part, though I agree with the hunting log leveling and doing FATEs as you see them. But I haven't tried myself to level another war/magic class, just land/hand.

On another note, for your first class, go through your main quest first and do not do every side quest. Leveling other jobs should utilize those hundreds of quests littering the world. I have yet to touch any side quest in Ul'Dah, Limsa, or Gradania.
Yup I forgot that I was going to do that too. Or rather level that class in the starting area that it starts in, as mine were to be in different areas (just to get the inital job, after that, idk!) ;P