EVE 101

"What would we encourage ALL new players to do in their first month to get them to subscribe long term, if we had to give out one set of advice for everyone (which we do if we're giving general advice)?"

Do stuff with others.

Now I'm not saying that you should or should not fly as a solo pilot, or that you should or should not join a corporation. Those are personal preferences and as such can and will change over time as you experiment in the game with different styles and roles.

But 99% of us are social creatures (the Nosy Gamer excluded) and the benefits of finding a group to communicate and socialize with while playing the game are numerous and well documented. You learn faster and make fewer mistakes. You have others to lean on for help when needed. You can get guidance on which directions to take. You can cooperate financially or industrially to profit both parties. And most importantly, you get someone to chat with.

You don't need to join a corp to get the benefits of communities. A lot of corporations have public channels where they will gladly talk and help another pilot (like "Aideron Robotics" channel) and there are communities like Spectre Fleet which will take you on PvP roams regardless of your current affiliations and get you up to speed in PvP.

Do stuff with others.

Even if its just mining or missioning in high sec, or simply chatting in a channel, don't be afraid to reach out and get talking. In your first month, it will get you ahead faster than anything else. Everyone loves a newbie.