I hope you did something really bad to get a tounge-lashing on the frequecy as a new pilot.
Syracuse airport is about 3 to 5 miles north of the city of Syracuse. At the time I wanted to orbit the city for a quick solo scenic flight so ATC granted my request by stating that I was to remain below 2,000 feet (so as to remain below the approach corridor for their main east/west runway) and also remain with the tower controller, as opposed to going over to departure.
On one orbit, I forget about my altitude restriction and climbed up to about 2,400 ft when the tower controller came on and asked me what I was doing. I replied and he quickly and tersely reminded me of my altitude restriction. That was that.
When I landed, I turned off the runway and called the tower to taxi in. The controller then launched into a four or five sentence terse monologue about how I need to listen and adhere to their instructions, that we are a busy airport, if I was unable to comply with ATC instructions, I should not fly here, blah, blah, blah.
Knowing that maintenance and the FBO had scanners, and in thinking of the many experienced pilots on the frequency, I wanted to just crawl into a hole. My meager and lame response was something like, "As a very inexperienced student pilot, I recognize that I have a lot to learn, but I am trying." It wasn't soon after that incident that I dropped out of flying lessons altogether for what was to be a 10 year hiatus.
Having the confidence and experience of flying many IFR flights into Boston and NYC airspace these days, a terse on-frequency lecture by a controller would have been met with a simple, "Please give me your initials and a phone number and we will discuss this off-the-air after I land."
I have a great deal of respect for controllers, but IMO the frequency is not the place for a lecture (by either controller or snobby pilot).