Although a computer might seem like a big, unintelligible box to many people (to me, when I started; sometimes even now, when it doesn't want to cooperate), once you understand the way it works, everything makes sense. A computer has a system of organization, and each section has a different job. Knowing what each job is and where it is performed helps you to understand how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together as one, interconnected machine.

Troubleshooting a computer, on the other hand, is a little more difficult (at least for me). In networking, we have a saying that applies here: always start from layer 1. This means, if there is a problem, check the physical connections first. Are all the cables plugged in correctly? Is all the hardware securely connected to the motherboard? From experience, these types of questions save a lot of trouble later on, when you're Googling like mad trying to find an answer to something like why your video card isn't showing up - only to find out that it isn't really connected in the first place.

It's a lesson for life and for computers. Always start with the simplest problem first. The simplest problems often require the simplest solutions.