Hello Joe and a big welcome to ya !
I'll try to answer your questions briefly but you can find more detailed answers on the other forums here.
#1 It largely depends on the type of kit. In aircraft, The cockpit ( pit, office) is usually painted first, then assembled then installed with the rest of the painted interior parts. Then the fuselage halfs are glued together, the glued seams filled, sanded,primed and painted masking off the interior parts that show or might get painted when doing the exterior.
#2 Type of paint is at your discretion as long as you use brands specifically typed for plastic models.
Enamels= better adhesion, easier to brush on, thinned with cheap hardware store mineral spirits, much longer drying time, kind of smelly.
Acrylics=very short dying time, thinned with alcohol or thinner specific to the brand ( Tamiya paint-Tamiya thinner ) , not much aroma, more difficult to brush on, better used with an airbrush.
Glue; Tamiya thin, Testor's Model Master liquid, Testor's Clear Parts cement- yes you have to have all 3.
#3 I use a large lighted mag on a stand. others use the kind you wear. A must for me since I have old eyes. Purchased at any craft store like Michaels or Hobby lobby maybe even Wall Mart.
#4 NEVER twist the parts off the trees ( sprues ) get a cutter designed for that purpose. I found mine at Wall Mart , cheap but useable after I sharpened it. Much eaiser to use than cutting off the parts with an Xacto knife. Nail clippers will do in a pinch. Xacto knives are your best friend and i have several mounted with various blades for scraping, cutting, trimming, decals and cleaning glue out from under fingernails lol.