It seems that RTFM just doesn't mean the same thing that it used to mean. So if you actually did do it, you can probably skip this and move on to something more constructive. If you didn't do it, pay attention. It will save you a lot of grief later. If you're on an XBox, the actual keystrokes will not be the same, but you can check it against your manual to find the correct ones.
There are five keys that you need to become intimately familiar with: <Tab>, <F1>, <F2>, <F3>, and <F4>. <Tab> toggles your Journal open and closed. It opens to the section you were last looking at, though. If you want to go directly to the appropriate section, that's where the function keys come in.
Pressing any of the four function keys a second time will either move you to that section or will close your journal if you are already in that section. You can also use your mouse (or controller) to navigate once it's open.
Selecting the red section will open your journal to your character information, selecting the blue section will open your journal to your inventory information, selecting the yellow section will open your journal to your spell information, and selecting the compass (the part that is currently selected in the image) will open your journal to the maps and journal section.
If you'll notice, there is an icon showing on the compass. One of the default behaviors of the game is to let you know when there are interesting places nearby. There are two classes of icons. Dark symbols on a light background are places you haven't found yet, which means you cannot fast-travel to them. Light symbols on a dark background (like the one above) are places that you have found and can get back to with fast-travel. Some players find this either annoying or just a bit too unrealistic and have created mods to reduce the distance at which these icons appear on your compass or remove them entirely. Visit the Fan Sites page at elderscrolls.com to find these mods