Survival mode is when Minecraft players must
* collect resources
* build structures
* battle mobs
* manage hunger
* explore the land in an effort to survive.
In Survival, players have an inventory in which they may gather items.
These items may be combined using certain recipes to create tools and other items. This process is known as crafting. Most crafting recipes need a crafting table. Players are also able to create potions by brewing.
When cheats are enabled, a player can switch to Survival mode by using the command /gamemode survival, /gamemode s, or /gamemode 0.
Minecraft beginners should know the following [via Gamepedia]
First day
As your first day begins,
Step 1: Collect wood.
Use this to make a crafting table (place the crafting table to use it)
Step 2: Make an axe, which makes collecting wood a lot faster.
Step 3: Make a wooden pickaxe to dig a small stairway into the ground
Step 4: Use pickaxe to collect at least 29 cobblestone, cobblestone is collected by mining stone
Step 5: Make a full set of stone tools
Step 6: Make a furnace (8 cobblestone).
Step 7: Make a shelter (dirt or wooden shack), or if available, stay in a village.
Step 8: After that put down your crafting table and furnace and smelt some wood into charcoal, and make some torches with that. You could use coal for torches.
Alternately, after you gather wood, you can create a crafting table and make a wooden pickaxe. Find stone to mine, and gather a few cobblestones, then make stone tools and sword. Gather coal to make torches and you are ready to go caving.
You can also avoid dealing with hostile mobs by building a bed. Three wool and three planks make a bed. You'll need to kill three sheep or shear the wool from them with shears. Instead of building a home, you simply put down the bed and go to sleep at sunset. Skipping night like this prevents most hostile mobs from spawning above-ground.
