To answer the original question, katden, you (and most other people) were taught wrong.

When people say "subconscious," they are trying to describe what is actually called the "unconscious." There is no distinction in meaning--these are two different words that two different sets of people use to describe the same thing. One is correct, and the other is not.

"Unconscious" is the word that Freud, Jung, and every other legitimate peer in in the psychology profession uses. "Subconscious" is what you say if you know nothing about psychology other than what TV taught you.

So the only difference you have to worry about is, uneducated people say "subconscious," and those who know better use "unconscious."