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Here are a few tips and suggestions that will help you make the most of your session.

Before The Session

• Make rough recordings of your songs at home or during rehearsal and review them. Try to hear the songs as you imagine your audience will hear them. This will help to highlight any parts that might need more work. 
• Have all parts worked out in advance (guitar solos, backing vocals, etc.) This will save you time and money, and help keep the session focused and productive.
• If using a sequencer, sampler or other electronic instrument, have it loaded up and ready to go before the session. If using a pre-recorded stereo backing track, try to find the best quality recording of it that you can. The best quality is usually found on a CD, but a good quality MP3 of 192 kbps or higher will also work.
• Practice playing to a click track (metronome). One of the biggest red flags of an amateur act is poor timing, especially during song transitions. Using a click track during the recording can work miracles for the final product, but it can be uncomfortable if you aren't used to doing it. Take some time to work with one beforehand, and your recording experience will reap huge benefits as a result. This is especially true for drummers.
• Rehearse more songs than you plan to record. You never know which songs will sound strongest when recorded, so having a few alternates prepared can give you the wiggle room you need to put together the best possible final product.
• Prepare a list beforehand of everything you will need to bring to the session, so that when it comes time to load up and go, you aren't trying to remember a million little things. There's nothing worse than showing up at the studio only to discover that the drummer forgot his sticks or the guitarist forgot his pedalboard.

Setting Up

• Be on time! Rushed recordings just sound bad. Give yourself plenty of time to deal with the unexpected.
• Make yourself as relaxed and comfortable in the studio as possible. If you are tense or on edge, it will show through in the final recording.
• Make sure you and the engineer are on the same page creatively. Taking a few minutes to go over your material with him/her beforehand can go a long way in helping you get the results you are looking for.
• Use new strings, sticks, heads, etc., and bring spares! Having your instrument(s) tuned and in top playing condition is absolutely crucial in achieving the best possible recorded sound. Consider having your instrument professionally setup if it hasn't been done in awhile.
• Find out the hours of the local music store, just in case...
• Don't make any major equipment changes at the last minute. Even if something is "better" than what you have, being unfamiliar with a piece of gear can cause serious problems under pressure.

The Recording Process

• Remember, it's emotion and feeling that make the best song, not necessarily the best technical rendition.
• If you mess up a part while recording, don't stop and start over. Put the mistake out of your mind and focus on finishing the rest of the take. The engineer can easily go back and punch you in wherever the problem occurred.
• Do your best to get the sound you are looking for while recording. Not everything can be fixed in the mix.
• Know when to quit for the day. If you are tired, it will show through in the performance. Trust your engineer if he/she notices your performance beginning to degrade.
• Keep guests out! Guests will serve as a distraction, and may swing your opinion on how the music should sound.
• Check your tuning often.
• Singers: Always bring water, but don't use ice. Cold liquids will constrict your vocal chords. Drink water at room temperature, or drink hot tea with lemon.

The Mix

• Determine a band spokesman ahead of time. An engineer getting five different opinions on how the mix should sound will grow tired and confused, and your recordings will suffer.
• Once you have selected an engineer or producer to do the mixes, let them do the first mix. Their ears are better trained than yours, and they are hearing your music objectively, which will help your music translate better to the average listener. Be patient and try to keep an open mind. Voice any suggestions or opinions once the initial mix is complete.
• Think about the songs as a whole, not just the individual instruments. Everyone wants to hear more of themselves in the mix, but that may not serve the song.
• Things happen! Count on and budget in unforeseen delays.
• Always ask for a backup copy of your mixes, and keep it somewhere safe.