I didn't like homework either when I was in school, however, I was never given homework that had to do with beer.
What style beer do you want to make? Pale Ale, Wheat, Bock, Spicy, Sweet, Stout, Porter, the list goes on. Finding the right recipe for the kind of beer you want to make is the foundation for the rest of the process. For those just starting, start with something simple. A liquid extract kit of a Pale Ale or Summer Wheat is a good first home brew to help learn the ropes. After that you can start experimenting and get into more complicated recipes or All Grain Brewing.
Good Resources for sourcing recipes can be found at: