Screw the ropes. Odysseus was a wuss! This is something that calls not for testing the depths of the water with both feet like a common fool, but for diving in head first, like a true Lunatic!
1. Definitely make as many Chinese friends as possible. If you approach Chinese people with an open heart, you'll soon find that you have more friends that you have time for. That's ok, just start having larger parties.
2. Beware of "foreigner-only" cliques. Those tend to turn into groups that sit around bitching about everything that's wrong with China and Chinese people. If they hate it that much, they really should go back to their "perfect" homelands. Sure, there are some things that are better at home, but there are plenty of things that are better here. If everything was as bad as the whiner groups said, no one would ever stay here for more than a few weeks.
3. That being said, it's not a bad idea to have some foreign friends. Being able to speak at normal speed, and having more cultural references in common can be nice way to mentally decompress on occasion.
4. Remember - "Hello" only counts if they say it as you are approaching. If someone passes you and says it, just ignore them. You'll still have plenty of people to say "Hello" or "Ni hao" to. This will also save you from a lot of neck strain.
5. Bring a small stash of some of your favorite foods that aren't easily available in China (this will vary depending on where you end up). For me, that occasional "taste of home" has proven helpful on those times when I miss "normal" food. Find out what stores carry foreign goods and compare prices. They'll ALL be expensive, but vary in how expensive.
6. Explore! Get critical addresses written down on cards. Those are for emergencies (which you are about to create). Walk out your front door and start making random turns until you are completely lost. If the choice is a main street or an alley, go for the alley. Once you are extremely lost, try to find your way back. If you can't, it's time to find a taxi and use an emergency card (don't forget to bring taxi money or this could be more of an adventure than planned). I've always found that this is the best way to learn my way around a new area. (I keep emergency taxi money in my card case - separate from my wallet.) Using this method, I've found all sorts of intriguing places that my Chinese friends didn't know about.
7. If you aren't already an expert with chopsticks, put away your forks and spoons now. Try to eat every grain of rice with chopsticks. Try picking up shelled peanuts, wet grapes, and anything else challenging you can think of with them. Even if people know you've been in China for a year or more, some of them will be impressed with your skill. BTW - You get bonus points if you can use them both right and left handed.
8. If you have a choice in housing, consider skipping convenient location for some place interesting. I'm the only foreigner in my little village on the edge of the city. It's annoying having to take a bus or taxi for any decent shopping, but this place is just too cool to miss out on.
9. In the first few months, your brain will suffer from some short circuits. I recall a good one I had - I thought those dried seahorses were decorations, then realized they were snacks. Does not compute. DOES NOT COMPUTE.
10. Learn the bus routes (and subways if your city has them). So many foreigners only travel by taxi. I use taxi's when I'm in a hurry, but getting squished into an overloaded bus can be entertaining (just keep a firm grip on your wallet, phone, etc. - no Chinese person ever swiped anything from me, but it's happened to a lot of other people I know).
11. Enjoy those "rock star moments". It doesn't matter if your town has lots of foreigners or none, at some point, someone will want their picture taken with you. Just be aware that you can end up on local TV and may not find out about it until your neighbors or students know.
12. Memorize these critical phrases:
Wo bu ming bai. (I don't understand.)
Ting bu dong. (I don't understand what you said.)