new player. any tips or recommendations?

hey! my friend (who is a really big fan of this game series) gifted me ds1 on my birthday and told me that he thinks i might like it. i'm really excited about playing it because i've watched him play ds3 and i thought it looked really awesome!

do y'all have any recommendations or tips for beginners? please keep in mind that i have never played a dark souls game before lol. i'm completely new to rpgs and gaming in general

thanks in advance :]]