Simple C# program question

Experts,

I'm new to C#, but I'm really good with java so I thought I would familiarize myself with C# by doing a simple project. There is one MAJOR thing I need information about, and I'm going to ask you guys.

For programs in the past and in school, we would write our own data structures. These structures would be filled either by parsing input or files or whatever.

I want this program to SAVE the data in it's data structure, so when it loads up the data is already in the program.

I need a SIMPLE AS PIE way to do this. I do not want to write a program that outputs everything to a specific format that I've developed myself and then parses the information later. In other words, I want a library of data structures that has this functionality (or any other way to do this is fine).

I don't know much about databases, but if there is a database I could use to save info then output to a file, then use it to read the file into the program again or something? I don't have a web server or anything to host anything btw.

Any recommendations would be awesome! Thanks guys!

-Jeff