I've Reached My Limit! >=/

What do you still not understand about limits? Choose 3 problems or types of problems anywhere from chapter 2 that were the most difficult and that you would like to get more help on. OR you can simply explain 3 ideas / concepts that still elude you.

1. I still find it sort of confusing at times to find the limit of something as it approaches infinity and negative infinity. It is not difficult with a graph in front of me, or if it is a simple equation. But when the equation gets really difficult or confusing, I do understand that you have to find the end behavior model and go from there. Sometimes, I just get confused and I would like more practice on this in order to understand it even better.
2. When it comes to finding vertical asymptotes, I understand it most of the time. What I do have trouble with sometimes is finding the horizontal asmyptotes. I would understand this concept and forget it continuously, and I think that the only way to engrave this in my head is by practicing it more. On friday by 4th period after various attempts to understand horizontal asymptotes, I recalled that the limit of f(x) as x approaches + and - infinity=c, then c is the horizontal asymptote. I also remember that if you find the end behavior model, you can just imagine the graph in your head and see where the horizontal asymptotes are, if any.
3. At times I get confused on how to "Describe the behavior of f(x) to the left and right of each vertical asymptote". I know how to do this, but when I cannot imagine the graph in my head, I don't know whether it approaches negative or positive infinity from the left or from the right of the vertical asymptote. It is difficult to determine this on my own, like on:

f(x)={x^3-4x, x<1

{x^2-2x-2, >or= to 1

This problem also greatly affects me with piecewise equations when it asks to find the limit of f(x) as x approaches +or-c from the +or- side of a equation that has a difficult graph to imagine, and I have to say whether it is negative or positive infinity. Sometimes end behavior isnt enough for me to figure it out, so if it is, I would like to have that concept explained to me better.