Is there a way to select by volume in edit mode? Perhaps using a selection cube or something along those lines? I know about the lasso, the paint select and the selection box but all those things require me to spin all over my current model and meticulously grab each individual element. Any selection related tips would be appreciated.
use A key in edit mode to select all vertices / face / edges.
L key is also good, it selects an independent part of your mesh
select one vertex, then ctrl+l. It will select all the vertexes connected to the first vertex.