Hi Debbie-

I'm also new, also a university student, also female...and also trying to do the self-taught route for Maya, as a matter of fact. I started out (and am still starting out) with an outdated Maya book (for Maya 3), which was good because it helped with the basics and was cheaper than an up-to-date book would be. But if you're already taking a Lightwave course, you might already know the basics I'm talking about.

well, good luck and glad to see ya here!
-katie