Tranny slip from stop

[speedracer]

Hello all... I love this site. anywho... lately i have been my car doesn't seem to like starting from a stop. this is what happens...

The car is in drive, I take my foot off the break... and nothing. It doesn't go. If I push on the gas it will jerk almost like when you pop the clutch on a manual tran. Needless to say I don't do that. To stop it from popping so violently, and trying to be nice to my car, when starting from a stop I always apply the gas very gently and very slow...

what could this be? Is this something I could check/fix myself. I am a poor college student living off my G.I. Bill.

thank you,

justin