I suck a little less than I thought

Good news! I showed my dreadful knitting to an experienced knitter and she said it was perfectly normal. The reason it didn't look like the photos below is because it's all knit rows and no purl rows. In the photo it's alternating knit and purl rows. Phew! Not to say it still doesn't look like doodie because my tension is off, but I feel better now.