[Air-l] RESEARCH SOFTWARE

As an undergraduate I am seeking to find out the best way to continually update my PC skills while also studying my degree and aiming for a career in research. It would help if anyone could recommend skills, courses, and research software that would be relevant. For example if you are about to employ a Research Assistant want skills apart from their degree would give an application The Edge! Don’t forget I am a UK student and am running Pentium 4 level PC with Windows XP as the OS. Thanks