Learn how to get things done in organizations. Learn how those organizations work. Secretaries are often very good sources of information on this topic. Experienced students can sometimes help too, but not all of them can be assumed to have learned how to accomplish things in an organizational setting. Realize how the status of your role here compares to the status to which you are accustomed.
Different societies attach different importance to different roles or positions in the society.
Avoid being excessively influenced by particular dramatic events. It has been pointed out that newcomers to a society may have a particular, very noticeable experience from which they generalize about the new society and the people who live in it. In fact, the experience might be very unusual, not a safe basis for generalization. The new foreign student at first supposed this was what American students customarily did, and wondered if he should do the same. This suggests that, if you have a dramatic experience which you find influencing your opinions or feelings about the local people, you should discuss the experience with other people and get an idea whether it is typical or unusual.