On Friday, April 15, the 2016 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival made its annual arrival to Indio, California with the three-day Weekend 1 event, wrapping it up with Weekend 2 from April 22 to 24 .

This year was my first time attending the festival and while I had some idea of what to expect, I realize that there are many important things to take into account for any first-time visitors. If you’ve never been to Coachella and have any desire to learn about it or go in the future, here are some tips for planning to attending the music festival.

If you plan on car or tent camping like my group of friends did, then plan on waking up at an early hour to drive to the venue a day before day one and wait in a long line of cars. Although it may seem like a drag, if you’re with the right people and you’re excited to start the weekend, you’ll have a fun time regardless of how long you wait in line.

For my first time at the festival, my group and I chose to camp on the grounds. Now, camping for four days in a row is dirty, and while it seems like everyone is perfectly clean, the truth is that you will most likely be washing dirt out of your hair for days afterwards. Luckily, there are showers for festival goers. Make sure you bring either an air mattress or lots of padding to sleep on, as you’ll want a comfy place to sleep after a long day of walking around and jamming out.

If being dirty and camping isn’t your cup of tea, then I suggest booking a room with your group far in advance, as prices for rooms increase closer to the date.

The number one advice I can give to anyone headed to Coachella is to hydrate. After a long day of walking around the campsites, the venue and the hot environment, you’ll need to drink a lot of water. I also advise you to bring your own food or snacks. Although there are delicious food vendors, meals tend to be pricey.

Apart from camping, the main aspect of the festival is the music. It is crucial to set up your music lineup with every performance you want to see. Keep in mind that most of the performances overlap. So unless you are a wizard, can apparate or have the ability to teleport, it’s likely that you won’t be able to see every performance that that you would like to.

Overall, my first time at Coachella was a lot of fun. The best part about attending this festival is that you can get a group of your close friends together, make some new friends along the way and spend a weekend dancing, making memories and exploring new music. Don’t be afraid to put down your phone and log off social media for a weekend. The weekend will be much more fun if you live in the moment and enjoy the experience.