What do you bring to the table as a PC?

Being new to the pen and paper scene, I still have a lot to learn.  I’ve read the core rulebooks, I’ve rolled my character, I have dice in hand.  I’m ready to play!

Or am I?

A lot of tools are available to DM’s and GM’s, along with a lot of pressure, to provide a fun and exciting gaming experience.  I follow along with their conversations through various blogs, and twitter all the time.  With so much time and effort on their part, already spent before a player even enters the scene, how should I prepare to make the most of it?