I've been playing TES games since Morrowind on the console, always jealous of PC gamers who get to use mods. But I've never had a strong enough machine to handle decent graphical games...well I'm setting up my new laptop now, and the first thing I'm installing is Skyrim.

Don't even know where to start! I've already done a bit of research on what mods I want, so I'll probably start by trying to figure out how to install those so I've got the game all set up the way I want it from the start.

Think I'm going to at least start out my character at early levels working on basic hunting with a cool hunting mod...

Start slow and small. Keep in mind any mod you plug in, you are stuck with unless you backed up your save before or start over . Keep in mind the abilities of your laptop before plugging in tons of mods . Have fun. -s-

Switching from consoles to PC is exciting in 1996 I played on the nintendo 64 (N64) then in 1998 I switched to PC and never looked back at a single console or console video game I have not played a single console or console video game since then I do own a PlayStation 2 (PS2) I got it when it released and played a few video games on it but I have been playing more on PC ever since 1998 when I go my first PC. When I first started modding Unreal in 1998 it was breathtaking. Then in 2002 when Bethesda Game Studios released The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind modding the PC version of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind was so amazing back in 2002.

As well as the unofficial patches and SkyUI, I recommend iHUD and Skyrim Unleashed, which will hand you your butt at very low levels and makes hunting game to gain a few levels before you tackle serious enemies a very sound move.

Go an watch this Sir from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QinA4qD6hXM&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PLE7DlYarj-DdhDG41roBVJfNCqvO5MmKP. This will get you started on mods as well as modding Skyrim.

What they are, how to install them, SKSE (scripts), BOSS (load order priority), cleaning dirty edits etc.

Then follow the advice of the previous posters as there are some good points here.

My tuppence ha'penny. Make sure that your laptop is 'loaded for Bear' in terms of resources. It will need to have a fast processor, plenty of RAM and a very, very good graphics card.

Thing big, start small.

It's how http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajan 'schooled' the Dacians Sir.

Apparently.

If you plan to install a lot of mods I recommend using http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/modmanager/ for easy install/uninstall of mods and then http://boss-developers.github.io/ to get the right load order for the mods.

Just wanted to second these.
As someone who bought Skyrim on Xbox360 (first ever TES game) and then again on PC specifically to mod, Gopher's vids have been invaluable to me. They were the reason I started using Nexus Mod Manager (makes installing/uninstalling mods easier and more organised), Skyrim Script Extender - SKSE (better scripting which allows for more complex mods) and BOSS (helps organise your load order to make mods work right and prevent issues).
I would also like to reiterate what others in this thread have said - start small. It's easy to get carried away when you're starting out but this can lead to issues in the long term.
I would also suggest that for now you avoid installing any mods that you think you may remove later, as mods are not really designed to be uninstalled.
Aside from that, happy modding!

If you are looking for which mods to get I recommend you to start with http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/11163/?. It's best mod released this far and adds lots of depth in your game. Hypotermia, Camping, Cloaks....

If you are interested about modding or are looking for more content later you could check us on http://www.darkcreations.org/forums/forum/119-beyond-skyrim/.