What lens do I get first?
So I have got a Nikon D3300, I love photography as a hobby and want to take it to another level. What lens should I get next. At the moment I have got the 18-55 kit lens which really doesn't zoom far enough.
You ask yourself a very simple question
What do I want to do with my camera that I can't do now?
When you answer that you will know what lens you want.
Examples
I want to shoot distant subjects - get a telephoto zoom
I want to shoot landscapes - get an ultra wide angle zoom
I want to shoot flowers and insects - get a macro lens
Get the idea?
Get the 55-200mm lens next
I only started getting really sharp (not blurry) images with a dslr when I bought some prime lenses - these lens do not zoom at all. That's what I would call taking your photography to another level - to try to get sharp images. If I'm going to take pictures of surfers from the shore I still use a zoom lens.
18-55 is a very good lens. Now the 55-200 will give you more telephoto. You need both.
Get the 55-200mm VR next. The a 50mm 1.8g.
You don't just go buy a lens at random.
What you do is you decide what kind of photos you want to take, and buy a lens to suit.
You take into account the focal length you need, whether you need a zoom or a prime, the maximum aperture required, whether image stabilization is required, and budget.
If you want a good zoom lens for an affordable price, then the Nikon 70-300 VR is the only one worth considering. But buying a bigger and better lens doesn't automatically take your photography to the next level. Learning how to expose, compose and process does that.
It's difficult to suggest what your next lens should be if we don't know the kind of photos you like to take, or the kind of photography that you prefer. Let me suggest that you consider the following. IF you want more "pull" or "reach" for zooming, I suggest the 55-200mm over the 55-300mm, which many complain yields "softer" images. Still want more "pull" or "reach" than what the 55-200mm yields? WALK UP closer to your subject and get the shots with a tad more clarity and details. IF you want something equivalent to the 50mm lens (like what used to come with the 35mm film cameras), then you might want to get the 35mm (DX) lens, good for walknig around (like for street photography) but as a prime, it a greater maximum aperture that lets more light in and afford you faster shutter speeds without having to increase the ISO, which would also increase the possibility of "noise." Want a nice portrait lens? Try the 50mm f/1.8 FX lens that works like a 75mm DX lens on your camera, but lets in more light and as a prime yields better detail in images than the kit zoomlens. Of course, only YOU can decide what YOU need based on what YOU want to do with your camera and the kind of photography YOU enjoy or YOU are interested in. BTW, you have a very nice camera, and I suspect you'll enjoy it for many years to come. You WILL enjoy your camera even more when you build a nice "arsenal" of lenses for your particular needs in whatever kind of photography you're interested in; but when you DO decide to upgrade to another camera, you'll have the lenses. Whatever your choice, whatever you decide, good luck and enjoy that camera!
Stick with the 18-55mm until you have the experience to answer this question for yourself.
To take your photography to the next level, you need to take your skills to the next level.
Choice of lenses depends upon the genre of photography you prefer. It's pointless recommending a good portrait lens if you principally photograph wildlife.