Get into it man.  You'll love it.  I recommend buying the best you can afford.  That doesn't mean you have to spend thousands of dollars either.  Your rifle might have to be drilled and tapped to mount a scope, have a professional gunsmith do it for you. 

Take as many NRA firearms courses as you can.  I highly recommend  doing so, you'll benefit enormously from them.  Always adhear to firearms safey and safe handling and storage of firearms, this is the most important thing.  We cannot have rights without the enormouse responsibility that comes with gun ownership.  Too many gun owners forget this fact and only focus on rights aspect of it.  DON"T FORGET THE RESPONSIBILITY PART OF IT!!. 

I recommend that you join the NRA if you are not already a member.  All gun owners should be NRA members, there's no excuse not to be, especially in todays world with the attacks on our gun rights. They are the largest most powerful gun rights organization lobbying for you and I.  Support them!!  Finally have fun, learn as much as you can, you'll enjoy it all.

Are you sure there are not any groves (slits) on either side of the chamber opening.  That is where the groves usually are on that model rifle.

I am not familuar with that rifle but the groves CG is talking about should run on either side of the reciever and it is where 22 scopes are mounted. They are called dove tailed grooves. 22 scopes are generally cheap pieces as that all most people require. Going to a 1" tube scope is far better even if you get a cheap scope. But to do it you need to find 1" rings for a 22 reciever. I'm not sure where you'd find them, been a long time for me. I have a set made by Burris that I bought at the plant in the late 1970's. I lived in Greeley and Burris had just started up. You might check Midway. If I can find my catalog I'll look for you. I just got out my pld Marlin 22mag. Try this, pull the trigger back before you open the bolt and hold it back while you take out the bolt. That's how mine comes out.

Once you find the right rings, don't buy a real expensive scope. Even if you do move on to a centerfire, you'll likely want to keep the 22. Get a new scope for the centerfire. Of course if you have deep pockets, get an expensive one for the 22, it certainly won't hurt a thing but recoil is the big killer of scope's ans 22's don't recoil to speak of. You might see better thru a better scope but for now it just ain't necessary.

Not mounting the scope. If you do get one designed for a 22 rimfire, it should come with the mountg built into the scope. It'll have two small knobs on the right side and they tighten down and force the mounts into the grooves in the reciever. If you go the 1" tube route, the mounts will be seperate but the mounts and rings are one piece. Each ring, one front and one back, will attach the same way as the 22 scope does. Then there should be one screw on top of the rings and both sides. Remove those screws and the rings come apart ant the scope will sit in the bottom half, attached to the rifle. Then simple put the top half back on, start the screws, set the scope where you want it and tighten the screws down. Make sure you get the proper distence from the eye piece to your eye and here I'm gonna suggest you take the rifle with the rings on it to the store where you get the scope and have then install it for you. When you get home, adjust the focus on the scope. Look thru it at the sky and the cross wires shold not be blurry at all. If they are nthere will be some sort of focusing mechanism on the back bell od the scope. It will probably be in the form of a ring in front of the bell that locks it in place. Losen that ring good and while looking thru the scope at the sky, watch the cross wires and you'll see them change from sharp the blurry or the other way. You'll see that by screwing that now loose bell in and out. Don't go to far out. Most my scopes will not let you take off that bell but some will. Don't take it off, you could break the crosswires if you do. Voice of experience! Once you have the crosswires good and sharp, turn the ring back into the bell and tighten it down. Hold the bell while you do and turn back into the ring just a bit after the contact and it will lock everything in place.

If it's like the Marlin Model 25 I used to have it will be a standard dovetail on top of the receiver.

Anyway, I suggest that you first learn to use the open (iron) sight that are on the rifle. This will allow you to become familiar with the rifle and work on your shooting technique. Once you are comfortable with your skill, then you can move on to getting a scope for. You can use  this time to save up some money to get a decent scope and also let you do plenty of research on rimfire scopes.

Your friends are right. Getting started with a .22 is the best (and most fun) way to learn.

I agree that learning with open sights is a good idea and definitely that you'll have fun with the .22 rifle.  It is a great caliber and the one I started out with.  Heck, I bet the majority of the people on here had a .22 as a first gun.

Anyway, good luck and let us know how it goes.  There are so many knowledgable people (not me) on here that are willing to help you progress and to answer your questions so don't hesitate to ask.