Currently I am learning about hinduism in school, but it is all very confusing. There are so many branches of hinduism; can hinduism be classified as one religion/way of life?
Disclaimer : I am culturally Hindu, and not a historian.
This is a difficult question, since Hinduism, during different periods in history was dominated by different denominations. These denominations converge on rituals and practices as well as deities that are worshipped, but diverge on theology and cosmology and the status of deities involved.
Ancient Hinduism consisted of
(1) materialistic denominations
(2) denominations which believed in soul, re-incarnation and karma, but not God
(3) denominations which were theistic
(4) denominations which were based on hard-determinism
Medeival and Modern Hinduism consists of
(1) denomination that believes hymns and chants imbibes one with an impersonal source of power.
(2) denomination that believes in metaphysical unity-essence of everything, called "God" and Samsara being an illusion that creates differences.
(3) denomination whose aim is an emotional reconciliation with a personal all-loving God.
Ancient Hinduism also dealt with "worldy rituals (birth/coming of age/weddings/ funerals)" as separate and higher philosophy was in the hands of renunciates and hermits and meditators.
Modern Hindu leaders are both well versed in meditation, philosophy as well as rituals due to unification effort in the medeival times which "standardized" Hinduism. Another aspect is "devotion" which involves communal singing, dancing etc. in colloquial languages as a group activity which became popular in later stages. (The religion evolved from bring family/bloodline oriented to personal-liberation oriented to community-celebration oriented, and modern Hinduism has aspects of all three).