I'm level 45 and I still use Apprentice firebolt spells as my main form of attack. I just don't use the other cause I hate killing my followers. I use destruction a little bit of conjuration to just mess around, is there a better way to use my magic?

No, the apprentice destruction spells, when appropriately perked, have the best dmg/magika ratio in the game.

Perhaps try more conjuration, it's insanely useful.

Yes, conjuration is a wonderful thing to have under your belt. Everyone needs Antronach friends. And if you're working on Alternation, being able to paralyze your enemies is incredibly useful. And fun. NOBODY MOVE, THE WIZARD IS HERE.

You should throw in illusions there very helpful

All spells in this game are basic and one dimensional.
Just use what works best for you and use whatever spell you wish for personal gameplay or roleplaying reasons.

The higher tier you use for Destruction, the worse the spell is in terms of damage/magicka ratio and in terms of overall effectiveness.

Master spells can only be used by loners and when you are in the ass end of nowhere and it really svcks. Plus, who wants to sit there charging a spell? Half the time I can't even get off my Master spell because I need to readjust my aim!

I'm trying illusion on my current stealth character, calm is useful.