Where to get started.

[Herpy Derpy]

I've been looking for a hobby for a while now, and being a computer science student and being interested in the subject , I though I should learn how to build circuits. Now, I understand basic gate logic, sequential circuits(latches and flip-flops), logical circuits, ect., and I'm in the process of progressing that knowledge.

How important is that stuff when talking about amateur circuitry? Where should I start? Just buy a bread box and resistors, the whole deal, and just build shit, or is there some organized way I should go about doing this?

[MunkeyQ]

If you're starting out in actually building simple circuits, I wouldn't bother learning about flip-flops and that sort of thing until you've got a solid basic understanding. It'll make one hell of a lot more sense when you can apply it.

My advice is to start building circuits on the Internet. Choose ones that have a good writeup of how they work so you can learn what each component's purpose is. Then start changing the values of components and working out why the circuit changes. Once you've learnt/blown up enough, move onto a more complex circuit and decipher it in the same way.

The electronics starter kits consisting of a breadboard, resistors, caps and general purpose transistors are actually very good as you'll get most what you need to build a lot of things.

[Herpy Derpy]

Any starter kits you would recommend?

I thought of this because of a class I'm taking about circuits and whatnot, but more based around computing, thus why I know about latches, ect. Though, I'm still not sure what the applications of f-fs are, other than memory.

[MunkeyQ]

Kits? Most electronics parts stores will sell a breadboard along with a selection of common capacitors, resistors, transistors and other bits for a heavily discounted price. I don't know what shops you have over there, but something like this:
http://www.bitsbox.co.uk/select.html