Welcome to Orchid Board Natalie
Ok, my tips for Phals...
1. Don't allow water to stand in the crown (as already mentioned above).
2. Make sure there is a hole in the pot (also already mentioned).
3. Water when the roots change from green to silvery if possible use a clear pot so you can see this all the way down. If you don't have a clear pot then use a wooden skewer pushed down in to the medium to test if it is still wet in the middle. Water when it is no longer wet in the middle.
4. When watering drench the medium thoroughly. Either run water through the pot, or stand it in water (right up to the top of the medium) for 15 min or more. Allow it to drain thoroughly afterwards.
5. Do not leave it standing in any water for long periods of time (only while watering).
6. They do not like direct light but require bright enough light. I put mine in an east window behind a shear curtain and they seem to like that.
Those are the basic tips which should help you keep it alive. You may see talk here of watering more often than I have indicated but I think that as a beginner you should stick to watering it when it is dry and the roots turn silvery. This is a good rule of thumb to save from killing it as a beginner.
Hello from a Rookie in Ontario, Canada! =)
My boyfriend was kind enough to surprise me with my first Orchid today, and I'm trying to learn as much as I can about it, in order to keep it alive for as long as possible. Apparently, it is a Phalaenopsis. Any tips or suggestions for a first-timer would be greatly appreciated! 
I am fairly new at all this myself, but one of the most important first lessons I learned was to make sure your orchid is in a pot with drainage holes!! Sometimes orchids you buy at the store are packed tightly into pots that have no holes on the sides or the bottom, and since orchid roots need the air to reach them, that's not good!! You may want to check what kind of pot you have and re-pot if necessary. Good luck!!
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