The first release of data from the 2000 Decennial Census is more than two years away, but it's none too soon to start preparing. Here's a checklist from someone who wrestled a lot with the 1990 Census, covering what you need to know and what you should do to get ready.
The basics
Master your spreadsheet skills: The majority of census analysis can be done using a spreadsheet program such as Excel. Make sure you know how to import a text file, build a spreadsheet, write and copy formulas, sort and filter, export your results into a table that can be published, and other such tasks.
Master your math skills: The census is numbers, lots of 'em. Memorize my formula for percentage change: NEW divided by OLD, minus one. (You don't believe it's that easy? Try it.) Make sure can be made to work with census data, too.