There are first times for everything: The first day of school. First kiss. First car. The list goes on. For many University of Oregon students, this fall will bring many more exciting firsts, one of those being their first Ducks sporting event.

Both Autzen Stadium and Matt Knight Arena are outstanding landmarks. They house some of the premiere collegiate athletic teams in the country — Autzen in particular has gained recognition as one of the loudest and most difficult places to play for Oregon opponents.

Stand up

Sporting events can drag on for hours, but true fans will stand the whole time. Standing lets you get more involved in the game, give high fives and participate in chants. Besides, if you don’t stand you won’t be able to see anything over the thousands fans who are standing, and you’ll just look silly.

Participate

The numerous chants and traditions at Autzen Stadium will take a few games to master, but the easiest way to learn is by experience. Some take precedent, such as learning the fight song and taking part in “Shout” to start the fourth quarter. You might have to venture a little out of your comfort zone at first, but nobody will judge you. In fact, you’ll look like more of a goon if you think you’re too cool to join in.

Don’t boo your own team

Football is a physically demanding sport to play and playing in college — let alone at Oregon — is a daunting and pressure-filled task. Players are going to mess up. They’ll miss tackles and drop passes and miss important kicks, but that’s not an excuse to shower them with boos. They’re your fellow students, so give them a break.

Know who has the ball

It happens every game. Some inattentive fan will go wild when a touchdown is scored … by the other team. Obviously a part of Oregon games are spent socializing, but at least have enough awareness to realize when your team got scored on. Your selfie will get plenty of likes on Instagram — it doesn’t need to get posted right away.

Nobody cares how much you think you know

There’s always that one fan who disagrees with and questions every call the coaches make, being sure to let everybody know about it. Listen, they’re on the sidelines and the court for a reason, so let them do their jobs and trust them. They do pretty exceptional work on a regular basis. Concentrate on your own enjoyment and let the game unfold in front of you.

Above all, enjoy yourself

Football games aren’t for everyone. But seeing how students at Oregon are privileged to have a venue like Autzen Stadium, take advantage of it and take the time to go to a game and have fun. Get into it, high five random people next to you, yell until your voice is gone, celebrate afterwards and reminisce.