As a fellow beginner I can add a few things that have become apparent to me as I'm learning.
I started out with a nice round point full hollow ground and a 1/4 hollow square point. The square point did a lot of damage in my inexperienced hands and gave me something to be distracted by while learning the basics. I had been alternating between the round and square point razors which for a beginner, I'd think was mistake. Since switching to the round point exclusively, my shaves began to improve as I learned the one blade. I'm looking forward to trying the square point again but right now I wouldn't consider buying another square in the future (and I do want more razors).
All you really need are the razor, the strop, a brush, and some soap of some sort. If you want a bowl, you can use anything from around the house or lather on your face (a soap stick is good for that). When you buy a razor it should come with some sort of lubricant/protection. I've got a tuf-glide cloth in a little foil pouch (no charge) that seems like it will last forever. The kits are a great way to keep from spending too much. With individual pieces you will always be tempted to get something a little better and as a group there is usually a discount off the regular retail price.