The latest version may not have the same skin as a lot of tutortials. If i remember correctly the default skin was light colour.Do as Pocholo suggested and change to your preference. Now the icons are changed depending on your icon theme. You are given the option to change them back to legacy (the older type) colour or symbolic - some of the names of tools have changed too, like Blend used to be gradient. If you cannot find a certain tool etc think of what else it could be called that is similar.
I think what you may be seeing a diference in is where people place their windows? They are able to be place in a multitude of ways.
In the early days of Gimp there were three major windows.
1 for tools and tool options, another for layers and brushes,patterns gradients etc. Also one just for the canvas. The first two could probably be changed around and added to but I don't go right back to the start only 2.6 Which is probably when most of the tutorials were made. Give it a while and we will get a few for 2.10
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
I do remember the single window for your picturecanvas. Now you can have the choice of one window or 3. Many people have found it easier to use the one window mode which came in with version 2.8 or single windows if they use more than one monitor.