Well I just started myself and I dropped it two days in so I'm not the best person to ask but I will tell you this much ...
1) Look where you want to go. Turn your head and look into your turns, even (and especially) u-turns. You'll be surprised how much easier and more confident your turns will be.
2) Always be aware. Don't ride and just fall asleep and zone out. Cars, bikes, debris, oil, sand, and everything else can come out of anywhere at any time.
These are things you'll be taught in the course. It'll be pounded into your head and for good reason. As far as the bike goes ... mine's an '03 and she's treating me very well. Comfortable to sit on, plenty of power for the freeways but not so much torque that I feel unsteady at all. It's a good choice. I don't know if you're planning on buying new but you might want to start with a used one just because odds are, you will drop it at some point. No use paying for a brand new bike if it's got a cracked fairing the second day you have it.
Oh ... find and buy Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough. Great book that teaches you a lot about the physics of two wheeled machines as well as a ton of safety considerations.
Lastly, I researched the internet like a mother ***** ... watched every video I could whether it be instructional, videos of crashes, etc. I tried to learn something from every one of them. I also read up on terminology so I knew what the hell people were saying to me.
You've found a great board though. You'll learn a lot from the guys and girls here.
