welcome- happy you decided to join in- it is a great place to learn & share
to answer your question- it really depends on the pattern- before you cut any yardage into smaller pieces you should read through the whole pattern and make sure you won't be 'shorting' yourself somewhere along the way-
sometimes you are cutting say---7" strips- if you cut your yardage into 1/2 yard lengths (18") you would only be able to cut (2) 7" strips- and would have 4" of (waste)
or you may need to cut long borders-
so, always read through the pattern before any cutting- but if it comes out ok- and makes it easier for you to handle- by all means go ahead.