OpenGL vs DirectX

Going to apologize in advance because I have a feeling that this topic might be worn out for /prog/.

I'm a very novice programmer. I've picked up a decent amount of C++ and enjoy messing around with it but I would like to work with graphics. I've been doing reading up on both OpenGL and DirectX and cannot seem to find which would be easier in general.

Which would be easier for a novice?

Any other tips on becoming a better programmer in general would be awesome as well.

As always it depends on what you want to do.