1) Electrons in atoms occupy different energy levels rather than following classical orbital models. Higher energy levels are farther from the nucleus.
2) Energy levels are divided into sublevels which have different shapes designated by letters. Electrons fill these sublevels according to specific rules.
3) The aufbau principle and Pauli exclusion principle govern how electrons fill atomic orbitals based on energy and allowing no more than two electrons of opposite spin per orbital. Hund's rule favors occupying each orbital in a sublevel singly before pairing electrons.