That is why I stick with the hammer heads!
The biggest thing is to relax.
You would be surprised how many people believe that once you are in the round out 'autoland' takes over.
A certain amount of nervousness is normal, for some people more than others. Just don't let it overwhelm you.
I'll offer the stuff I wished I'd thought of before my first solo (not that it didn't go just fine; it did):
-Relax, because you've done it before without the instructor touching the controls. Say that out loud one time before you take off: "I've already done this!" You can get all "Wow,amazing, I soloed!!" afterwards.
But in fact you will have flown a circuit and landing all on your own prior to that; only real difference is that the instructor was there to bail you out if needed. But it won't be needed, right?
-Expect the unexpected. Do some chair-flying, and throw situations at yourself. Try to think of some surprise or problem you haven't covered in your reading, ground school, or your dual flights. There's bound to be something. If you can't come up with the answers, ask your instructor.
Example: on my first solo trip around the pattern, everyone decided to change runways (no tower,one runway, ops allowed only on one side) right after I was downwind. There was traffic in front of and behind me. My instructor had actually warned me that might happen, but I forgot to ask:
Where in the pattern should you turn around, and which way? The way I chose was "wrong", but it was a safe, conservative choice. But had I thought about it before, or asked, I would have been better-prepared, and it would have been less stressful.
Then there's the stuff I thought of beforehand and used to my advantage:
-Make sure you and the plane are ready (usually the solo follows some dual...so are you sure fuel, oil, etc. are OK? Did you look at that tire after that rough landing before the instructor got out? Do you have to hydrate, or visit the bathroom? Do you just need a quick breather?)
-Take your time
-Use the checklists
-Know the v-speeds, but do not keep your eyes inside too much
-Announce, listen, and look
-Be ready for a lighter airplane. Even if your instructor is a small person, you will notice the difference. It shouldn't be a problem... in fact you will like it. But be aware of this fact as you take off, and as you begin the approach to land.
As with the flying itself, you should be ready for handling surprises on your own by the time you are "turned loose"... but it might be smart to just visualize a few non-standard things on top of the emergency checklists, etc.
Difficult details are not for first solo, it's simple details. You are expected to know more details by the time you go for your check ride, but even then it's not so much difficult details as important details. If you keep up with your learning, by the time you get to higher up ratings it becomes more natural.
When I was at your point in flying, I had one person who would ask me questions about what to do if a situation occurred and I would come up with the technically correct response, and he would always say "Fly the plane." I got annoyed with him since I was coming up with the technically correct response and he would give me this simple, seemingly obvious answer, but it was good to be reminded that the first step is always to fly the plane. On more than one occasion that has been a good first step to remember for me when something has gone wrong and I need to think some about what I want to do to deal with the problem. But those stories are for another day.
As with the flying itself, you should be ready for handling surprises on your own by the time you are "turned loose"... but it might be smart to just visualize a few non-standard things on top of the emergency checklists, etc.
BTW: do you know the answer to my question about changing the pattern?
Hint: my decision, which was "wrong" in that it is not the typical way, was to extend my downwind and turn around way beyond the normal turn-to-base point (which was now beyond the departure end of the runway, not the approach end).
The "correct" way is more expedient, but it might not be the first thing a first-solo pilot might think of.
Getting back to what others have said here: the only reason my "wrong" turnaround method worked without creating a hazard for me or others was... drumroll please... I thought first and foremost of just flying the airplane.
I knew how to leave the pattern and just come back; that would have been OK too... as long as I just kept flying the plane before deciding anything else.
That fact is very true: "fly the plane" should be Item #1 on all in-flight checklists, and Item #1 when you need to change your plan unexpectedly.
And probably also Items 2, 3, and 4...
