Get books on how to do and record systematic reviews. Do systematic literature reviews for literally everything you can think of relevant to your topic as early as possible and continually whenever you have any spare time after that. Record literally everything about the searches and what you find. You can't be too obsessive about i.

Also, book yourself on as many internal courses as you can fit in at the beginning of the year. Even by the end of the first year it's hard to fit training in. So, any Academic Writing courses etc etc etc. Do them now, save time later. Also introduces you to other new PhD students.

Also, have fun. It really is like the rollercoaster cliche so love the highs and know the lows will pass.

A

Thanks guys, I am in the social sciences, but please post from any field, as this thread is meant to help all 'first years'!

Some students come up with over-complicated topic-based filing groups for their "paper" papers. Inevitably, you can't remember where you filed the paper you now desperately need. Instead, use the "Record Number" field in EndNote to number your articles from 1 onwards. EndNote automatically assigns a new entry a new number. Use this to number your papers and then file them in number order. If you go into the Preferences window in EndNote and the "Dislay Fields" tab, you can add the Record Number field to the display screen. Then , when you need a paper you can use EndNote to search for the author/keyword and it will tell you the number. You'll never lose another paper again or have to reorganise your filing system.

Learn how to use Latex from your first year. It will have a steep learning curve but at the end you would be more relaxed. There are so many Latex template that you can use.

There are several advantages
1. OUTPUT is much better. Your thesis looks very professional with Latex. Latex uses a separated file to manage the document style.
2. Cross references. It can not be easier. Everything is automatic. You do not have to worry about section number, figure number.
3. Update figures very easy. As long as the figure name is unchanged it will be updated automatically.
... AND MORE.

It will save you a lot of headaches.

Google Notebooks.

If you use firefox, try the Notebooks add-on. If NOT, install firefox and try it. It is very useful tool to clip information from the web.

You can use Notebooks as your paper keeping. The search function is the bonus. It will help you to search through your note.

How to use it.

Nearly all journals now offer web version of the paper. While reading through the paper, if you like any paragraph you can highlight it can send it to Notebooks (one click).

Think about it like a electronic version of your collection of notes while reading papers.

Google scholar! - I love it :-x You can import the refs into endnote and have it linked to any university you have access to so for me I can find 90% of my reading material from here.

you beat me on that sneaks :( I am about to write about it :D

Get to know the IT geeks around the department - the ones who can get you things, e.g. installation disks for expensive software, administrator privileges for your office PC so you can install your own programmes, and so on...

Make sure eat healthy - you will be spending a lot of time sitting at a desk, so get used to snacking on carrotts and stuff, NOT maltesers - my downfall! Which is why I am now on a diet and looking at this :-x reminds me of jammy dodgers!

Also, if anyone has detailed tips on anything, lets say bibliographies and biblio software or manuals for instance do go on and post whatever be your field...

Read a copy of How to Get a PhD by Morris and Pugh, so you know what to expect and so forth. I have discovered that you can download a pdf copy for free from here: http://www.2shared.com/file/3904435/ee23ecb5/How_to_Get_a_PhD_4th_Edition.html

Also get to know the admin and office staff - they'll do so much for you if you're nice, and they know absolutely everything in the Department.

Also, keep a word document or note book where you right down anything that pops into your head. At this stage you'll have no idea whether they are relevant, or what chapter they'd go into. But you can go through it every so often and delete things if they're rubbish, or you've incorporated them somewhere.

People - I smell an opportunity here ... why should we give this advice for free??
Only joking, but it is a great idea and perhaps as a further improvement on the forum that such advice boards are distinct from the forums themselves (otherwise they would be lost and repeated needlessly amongst all the old threads. Most of what is said already is true but as most of us are only learning ourselves there would never be a definitive list.
PhdBug - Might be interesting to actually get a few people together for this. I know I'd spare an hour or two every week to admin a website (only problem is quality control - ah sure put up a big Caveat Emptor sign and denie everything).

Here is my wedges of wisdom though
1. If corporately sponsored, get the project specification down on paper as quickly as possible and in a binding format - if there is a corporate reshuffle, you don't want your project being changed as a result. It does happen!
2. Take minutes of meetings, specifically supervisors. Have a template document for these and email them to the supervisor once meeting is over
3. If reading a paper, journal article, record ALL the details within Endnote (preferably before reading). This includes linking the record to the soft copy downloaded from the websites. It might mean you have a lot of records but redundant ones can be deleted.
4. If priniting the papers, put the Endnote number on the printed copy and store them in order of record number. It cuts down on reprinting of papers and is also a quick way of finding them (look up the EndNote record # in the software)
5. If wondering what are the most relevant journals, use the Impact Factor to decide.
6. BE RUTHLESS! You are here for a specific reason - don't let others stand in your path to glory! Sell your family into slavery, kick that single parent family out of that bedsit .... oh oops medication time! Only kidding - Don't be ruthless and don't ever forget why you are doing the PhD. You will need to remember that from time to time. The PhD process isn't Butlin's but it isn't meant to be like a Siberian Salt mine either. Get a good balance between the work and your outside life (take this as an opportunity to get a new hooby). The PhD is like a job, albeit a very low paid one, so try to keep perspective.

PhDBug - Obviously you can understand that we are constrained for time to elaborate on some of the points but I do think that a website (or a money making book ... don't lie, we're all in it for the money :p ) would be a great idea to focus this further. I would deffo give some time to it if needed. If anyone else interested, we could try something.

Hope the research is going well and enjoy those extra long "coffee" breaks of first year

Another good piece of advice.. Back up any reference libaries that you have.. I have a copy on a USB stick, on my uni computer and on my laptop. I have a friend who lost her reference library and had to start from scratch.. I would hate to have that happen to me!!

You definitely need a computer shrink for the day when it goes kaput, more like an IT geek buddie whom you don't have to pay. Exercising and eating well will help to keep you sane.