You can change vertex size in Blender by scrolling down in the Themes menu in Preferences. The default is 3 pixels, which feels very close to the tiny object origin in size. I doubled that value to 6, which is closer to Modo's default vertex size and also makes it easier to select vertices.
I am structuring a new approach to the 3D side of a BTEC Level 3 Games course. I would love to hear from the community: hobbyists, students, those in industry, other lecturers and so forth, as to what they believe is the best method to learning 3D from scratch in a classroom - or their experiences in doing so.