South By Southwest is not easy. It'll take blood, sweat and tears — but mostly sweat — to get through the week. If you want to make it through seven days of SXSW, folow our survivor guide. We'll tell you where to go, what to avoid and how to maximize your festival experience.

Day two

Update (5:00 p.m.): Socks. Forget style. Wear shoes that have major mommy-loves-me support. And don't forget the socks.

Update (4:35 p.m.): Keep your bag light but consider bringing a light jacket for panels, presentations and evenings.

Update (2:35 p.m.): Even if you don't have a badge, head to the Austin Convention Center to enjoy some free air conditioning.

Update ( 2:10 p.m.): If you're headed to SXSW from campus, consider taking Bus 1 from Guadalupe Street to Fourth Street. It drops you off in the heart of the city, and, if you have your student ID, the ride is free with a swipe. Count of standing room only.

Update (12:45 p.m.): Good afternoon everyone! We hope all your SXSW day 1 activities went swimmingly. On our agenda for today:

LA and The Innovation Economy — Los Angeles’ mayor Eric Garcetti, Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso and Atom Factory founder Troy Carter will discuss Garcetti’s efforts toward creating a smarter, more connected, more livable and safer city.

ASSSSCAT — The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre's infamous improvised comedy show.

Petting Zoo — A film about a pregnant teen in San Antonio struggling to decide whether to keep her child. 

PETTING ZOO Trailer from Linus de Paoli on Vimeo.

Update (12:00 p.m.): My film lineup for this beautiful day of SXSW includes a bunch of headliners, including “Manglehorn,” “Hello, My Name is Doris” and “Ex-Machina.” My most anticipated of the bunch is “Ex-Machina,” which looks quite creepy and beautiful with its human-like robots.

—Alex Pelham

Day one 

Update (late Friday evening): I’ve learned one valuable lesson here at SXSW: always be eating. Always. Whenever you see food, grab it like it’s keys to a Ferrari. I made the mistake of ignoring my growling stomach while waiting in line, and paid for it when my body started to beat me up like Mike Tyson in a prize fight. Fill your canvas bag up with snacks, and have a happy day 2 of SXSW!

—Alex Pelham