Most of the stuff in a kit is the least quality that will work -- I'd sooner see you step up just a smidge in quality -- much less frustrating.
For beginners I recommend a decent pair of scissors -- Fiskar's bent trimmers for economy, Kai for good -- buy the longest blades that you can open the scissors completely on -- it will improve your cutting.
You want this style:
http://www.fiskars.com/ca/en/crafts/Product+Detail693a.html or
http://www.fiskars.com/ca/en/crafts/Product+Detail8078.html not this style:
http://www.dickblick.com/products/fiskars-straight-scissors/ Kai is at
http://www.kaiscissors.com You'll need a measuring tape -- fiberglas or vinyl, not cloth. 60" or 120".
Seam ripper -- Clover brand is the best of the cheap seam rippers; I like the flat handled white ones the best. Dritz rippers are often snaggly, which is counterproductive.
http://store.quilting-warehouse.com/081990.html Pins: I start beginners with the big, yellow-headed quilting pins to begin with. Those large, colored heads remind them to take the pins out before sewing over them. When you start sewing silks and satins, you can shift to some good silk pins like Iris.
Needles:
--Sewing machine -- buy a couple of packs of Schmetz or Klasse universal point needles... one size 80/12 and the other an assortment. Universal points will sew most fabrics and do an ok job of it. Size 80/12 will sew most garment weight fabrics. Shift into other point styles and sizes as you need them. Helps for later:
http://www.schmetzneedles.com/education.html Needles need to be replaced about every 2-8 hours of actual sewing time or if you hear the needle hit metal. You will probably break needles as a beginner. If you do that, you're probably pushing or pulling the fabric.
-- Hand needles -- pick up a packet of assorted size sharps and assorted size embroidery/crewel needles. Sharps are the traditional hand sewing needles; embroidery needles have bigger eyes and are easier to thread. I do all my handwork with embroidery needles but it's frowned on. <g> Pick the needles you like.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewing_needle Press cloth. Buy 1 yard of decent quality, thinnish, white, cotton muslin. Cut it down the center so you've got two strips 36xabout 22". Rip one of the two strips so you've got two pieces about 12x22 and about 24x22.
You can zigzag the edges of the larger ones as an exercise in machine sewing; overcast the smaller one by hand for a lesson in hand sewing.
Pin dish or pincushion. My favorite is a Corelle bowl with a magnet out of an old disk drive stuck to the bottom of it. More refined are the
types like:
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/grabmagpincu.html Make your own pincushion as an early exercise... stuff it with wool.
Tailor's chalk -- the only commercial marking device I trust, and only in white. The dyes on tracing paper (which is what they usually stick beginners with) often don't come out of fabric, and virtually no one I know uses a tracing wheel and paper any more. Most of the disappearing ink pens leave permanent marks if you press over them, or if they're not properly washed out, come back to permanently stain the fabrics later. White chalk washes out. (colored chalk can stain). Your choice of form -- pencil, traditional tailor's chalk, chakoner. I use both the traditional block chalks and a chakoner. Or I use tailor's tacks and clips... needle and thread or a snip into the seam allowance with the scissors points.
Collins Wash -a-Way Wonder Tape. This is a double-stick 1/4" wide tape on release paper that you can use to "pin" two fabric plies together for sewing. You can sew through it without gumming up the needle, and it washes out completely in the first wash. I let beginners use it for slightly tricky jobs like zippers on polarfleece.
Thimble. Has to fit you. Of the dressmaker type thimbles, there are now some nearly transparent, colored, plastic thimbles that I like... they conform to the shape of your finger better than traditional metal thimbles. Go try some one... Joann carries them, and probably most other fabric stores. The other thimble I like is the Nimble Thimble, a leather and steel jobbie meant for needlework rather than sewing, but again, more comfortable than the standard steel thimble.
Honestly, all you'll really need are good fabric shears, ripper, a measuring tape, a few pins, press cloth and hand and machine needles. Pick up other notions as you go along and discover a need for them. The rest is luxury or can be improvised around. File folders are terribly handy to have also... you can turn them into pressing templates.
Now, what are you doing for sewing lessons and books? Put the money in good shears and lessons and books instead of a bunch of notions.