This is also not always true. I don't really think that a 2000 hour flight instructor, who trained private pilots on nice weather days and sat right seat, logging PIC time has the experience of a 1000 hour pilot that flew Part 135 cargo in the northeast, in all kinds of bad weather. Quality of time is far better than quantity of time.

As far as "babysitting" in the cockpit, I have talked to so many captains that had this problem. Some were so amazed that when they arrived at the plane, I had the APU running, checklists complete, FMS programmed, and everything ready to go. The job is to operate that flight safely and on time, to it's destination. If you can do something extra to make that happen, then do it. If you are having trouble with the physical flying of the aircraft, ask your captain or any other pilot, they may have a tip to help you out. If you still need help, ask for extra training. Asking, and getting extra training is better than getting called in for "mandatory extra training". And never forget that aviation is a continuous learning experience. During long flights, read your manuals, check out the Jepp charts and glossary. I bet you find some little thing you never knew before. Not saying that you need to spend the whole trip studying, but at least take the time to be the best pilot you can. Your goal should be to do your job as well, or better than, your captain. As an FO, you pretty much do everything the captain does (in flight), set a standard for yourself and operate to that standard.