I am a huge fan of all things SciFi/Fantasy, but I have never been to a convention. I am going to Dragon*Con this year and I don't want to do anything stupid. I wouldn't want to look like a dork in front of my fellow geeks. :)

 

Advice on anything appreciated.

The biggest thing is don't forget to shower / eat / sleep. Personal hygeine is a must, as far too many people seem to think it is a good idea to go without. Eating and sleeping are also pretty important if you want to keep functioning, and easy to forget to do in the excitement. Aside from that, expect to wait in lines, be prepared for crowds, and don't be afraid to set a schedule, otherwise you'll be liable to miss some of the stuff you'll want to see.

 

Don't worry about being a dork, because almost everyone at these events is.

Shower is a big one. I showered twice in a day because I was doing a lot of running around in costume and got too hot. Bring a book or a cell phone or something to do in lines. I get really bored and so tend to keep something on hand. Don't be afraid to sit down in line as you can kill your feet standing in line for long periods. This advice applies mostly to my experiences at anime conventions but the same holds true i'm pretty sure for D*con. LOL

Start off with visiting the Wheel of Time track and meeting some of us. The Con often seems huge and overwhelming to new people, but it seems less scary if you have a home base of people you know. Several of us have been attending Dragon*Con for years and are more than happy to help show new people around.

How good your costume is is directly proportional to how much people like you.

Well, I've got a pretty sweet Bellatrix LeStrange costume from Halloween.

Ignore Az, you don't have to have a costume if you don't want to. I never wore one when I went. Though if you are going to wear one, I do recommend putting some time and effort into it, people love to stop a good costume to get pictures.