For a class I am being split into a group with a pc on a network in a classroom and have to protect my pc as I hack the other groups pc's.  Does anyone have any basics that I can use?  Any tips/tools/strategies?

So... it's a computer security class?  If they are breaking you into groups and having you stage attacks on the other classmates computers, I'd assume they'd have gone over the basics with you, otherwise it's like the monkeys and the monolith...

Regardless though, good place for tools is insecure.org.  Feodor keeps a good list of what's fairly popular going.  Strategies?  Humans are the weakest link... give your classmages some thumbdrives or cd's with labels that sound like something interesting.  Use your imagination.  And.. on said pieces of storage, have something useful set to autorun/install.  If you dont' know how to get that done, or where to get the ready-made programs that will do this for you.. you're propably a bit over your head in the class. 

Yeah, he'll start us all off to kinda level the playing field and then we start.  We'll learn some along the way, but the rest is free game.  I have a feeling everyone in the class has heard stories of this class and will be looking for the physical hacks like you mentioned.  If I were to use something physical like that, it will have to be more sneaky than that.  I'm looking for tough network attacks or work arounds.  I've seen a program to create some type of malware I could use once I'm in, but not too familiar with them.  That is also something I have to look at is something to take them down once I'm in.