I have heard conflicting things about turning the lights on and off. I have heard that it is better to leave the lights on when you are going in and out of a room often rather than switching them on and off each time upon entering and leaving. Then I have also heard that to be untrue, rather, that it is always better to turn the lights off when you are not going to be using them for whatever period of time that may be. Any answers, input would be greatly appreciated!

I had never heard of this before-- its an interesting dilemma! I found an article on the US Department of Energy Consumer Guide website that has a lot of good advice. http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/lighting_
daylighting/index.cfm/mytopic=12280

In short, the answer to your question is, "it depends on the lightbulb and the price of your electricity." Incandescent light bulbs (the old classic lighbulbs) should always be turned off when leaving a room. Turning them off and on puts a little wear on them and could shorten their lifespan, but they are cheaper to replace than the electricity cost of running them longer.

Fluorescent lights use more power when they are first turned on, then they use less power once they are warmed up. For most areas of the United States, a general rule-of-thumb for when to turn off a fluorescent light is if you leave a room for more than 15 minutes, it is probably more cost effective to turn the light off. Or in other words, if you leave the room for only up to 15 minutes, it will generally be more cost effective to leave the light(s) on. In areas where electric rates are high and/or during peak demand periods, this period may be as low as 5 minutes.
- A Consumer's Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, US Department of Energy.

In general, fluorescent or LED lights are usually considered more "eco-friendly" than incandescents because they are more efficient, last longer, and are recyclable.