Hi yarnell24,
I took a look at the Networking Systems Technology AS degree from a couple of schools to see what you really need.
Your i3 with 8GB will easily support running a virtual machine (VM) alongside using the laptop normally. Running more than one VM at a time will cause it to slow down, but you shouldn't need to do that.
The beauty of VMs is that you can have several stored on your computer, and just run the one that is relevant to what you are doing. Most VM software allows you to suspend the VM (freeze it in the middle of what it is doing) and restart it later, without it knowing that anything has happened.
Linux versions worth looking at are:
ClearOS - Used by many US state administrations, schools and police depertments, this is designed to be used as a network server and gatekeeper pretty much out of the box. The distribution is flexible and includes an extensive list of features and integrated services. Some of the tools found in ClearOS include anti-virus, anti-spam, VPN, content filtering, bandwidth manager, file services, SMTP services, print services, SSL certification, and web services. The community edition is provided as a free download, inclusive of basic OS updates with free registration. There is a huge forum, so you won't be on your own.
Matriux - The Matriux is a fully featured security distribution based on Debian consisting of a powerful bunch of more than 300 open source and free tools that can be used for various purposes including, but not limited to, penetration testing, ethical hacking, system and network administration, cyber forensics investigations, security testing, vulnerability analysis, and much more. It is a distribution designed for security enthusiasts and professionals, although it can be used normally as your default desktop system.
Programming
If you want a programming language that you can use in both Windows and Linux, then choose either C++ or Java.
While Linux is the most used OS for servers, don't be too quick to discount Windows. Microsoft offer a programming environment (Visual Studio) which is free and take the work out of learning to program. This is suitable for C++.
Eclipse is another free programming environment, but has versions for both Windows and Linux, and can be used for both C++ and Java. Eclipse is famous for their Java IDE but their C/C++ IDE and PHP IDE are pretty cool too. They also have an impressive collection of add-on tools for software developers.
Both Eclipse and Visual Studio are used by many big companys and some education establishments, so the effort for learning to program with either may not be wasted.
It is worth contacting the school you are going to to find out what programming language and tools they use.
A first goal
Follow one of the courses you have found from getochkn's links then, once you have convinced yourself that you can put a program together and get it to run, try these:
For a first project for networking, create an app that will log into your facebook or Tom's Hardware account and show you the raw html code for your personal info page. You should be able to find most of the source code by searching for it online. You just have to put it together and modify it for your specific use.
A second project is to write your own chat program that uses UDP or sockets. These are both fairly beginner but rewarding projects that should build your confidence enough for the first day on the course.