AbbotSamson wrote:
I've never played a live game online. Can someone briefly explain the drop boxes with time (I.e., 5 min., 10 min., etc.)? Also, I'm not rated -- won some intermediate bot games -- so how should I find the right opponent? Thanks for any advice.
This official support article will help explain the time controls for you: https://www.chess.com/terms/chess-time-controls
In short, "5 min" means both players start with 5 minutes on their clock. Running out of time is a loss.
A time control "3|2" means both players start with 3 minutes on their clock ,but a player is given a bonus of 2 extra seconds after each move.
Other than that, just queue up a random game for the time control you want, and have fun! 
I've never played a live game online. Can someone briefly explain the drop boxes with time (I.e., 5 min., 10 min., etc.)? Also, I'm not rated -- won some intermediate bot games -- so how should I find the right opponent? Thanks for any advice.