Welcome from Illinois! In addition to your beginning sewing class, check out a beginning quilters class at a local quilt shop. Learning the basics of accurate rotary cutting and 1/4 inch seam is what you need to start.
Also, I'd highly recommend getting a very good how-to book to keep at home, one that answers technique questions rather than teaching a specific pattern. I have a few, but this is my absolute favorite. I turn to it again and again, and it is arranged so that I can find what I'm looking for: Better Homes and Gardens Complete Guide to Quilting.
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide.../dp/0696218569