Sign up for a meeting, or just drop in. Rice doesn't have a great organized advisor program, but most professors are extremely helpful and all love to have attention from students. Financial aid is helpful, but when you first get here, they are going to be busy, so you will need some initiative of your own. On campus work is great because supervisors expect you to flake out sometimes when you have an exam or a paper due the next day. Pay ranges from 6.50 - 10.50 per hour.
Coffee house is great and open late.
Alcohol is widely available to those over and under 21. Rice's drug policy matches the laws of the State of Texas. Pot is frowned upon by some, but Rice isn't an ultraconservative place and there won't be room searches, discrete is best. Harder stuff is rare and not a good idea in Houston or at Rice though available in some circles.