Have to second what Rostin said... finishing the Academy should be a first priority.

After that, the help you can get from joining a Corp will be invaluable in getting "moving". Just a couple of Mk XXX modules is more help than you can imagine. Build yourself a small SOS ship with them, and you'll be cookin' in no time.

Would it be difficult to add a column to the Comm/Ships table that lists total (current and max?) power for each ship? I've often powered down modules to shorten a timer and "forgotten" to turn them back on again! A small reminder on the Ships table would be a help!