func_detail can quarter your compile time, and hint brushes can shave another third off your compile time if done well.
This is going to sound harsh but it's something i tell everyone who comes here saying they "don't have the time" to pull off what's around them.
This is a hobby that requires the dedication of time and patience to both research and construct a final outcome. You cannot rush this. If you don't have the time. Don't bother. Because you'll just waste what little time you do have starting something you'll never manage finish.
My advice would be to drop your crappy summer camps and make this your top priority in life :thumbup:
But on a serious note. If you're starting out. You're better off experimenting with the tools available to you. Make some small rooms, tiny projects that you will be able to finish. Just like a room with some props, overlays, maybe a dynamic door. Just so that you can get to learn the process a little more. Then when you have the time/are willing to dedicate more time to producing something proper, start a full blown mapping project.
Most people do this as a career and get paid for it, and those who do it as a hobby have their lives eaten up by it, and turn crazy. Lose wife's and jobs. Get fat and die on a toilet.
Oh wait, sorry, i was thinking of WoW.
But yea. This (level design) is a big deal. I really wish there was a better way to say this without discouraging you or telling you you need to drop something to pick this up. But there just isn't.
Most people here will be too busy with their own practical projects to be able to help yourself physically. This is a forum where we give technical advice for the msot part. I've given out minor help for people on their maps and i've been set back by weeks on my own projects. It's an unfortunate reality.