Leave it alone, other than to add water, for a week and then handle it for 15 minutes on day 8 and add 15 minutes per day until you hit 2 hours. More importantly, feed and then don't handle it for 48 hours after you've fed.
I would highly recommend this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Corn-Snakes-Captivity-Professional-Breeders/dp/0976733412
Everything you need to know is covered in his book. Best of luck!
chlorhexidine 2% then diluted to 1 ounce to 31 ounces of water.
I start all of my cornsnakes in https://www.sterilite.com/product-page.html?product=19314304&mid=243 these are escape proof. 270 coat hanger wire sized air holes, or use a soldering iron. this is escape proof while your snake grows big enough that it is far less likely to escape. your snake will outgrow this in about a year, but then you can jump to a full sized enclosure with much less risk of escaping.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvLDGGMnvpDf4NQwBENyA_Nn1u0fguOBI my playlist of things that most simple care guides skip out on.
https://www.amazon.com/Corn-Snakes-Captivity-Professional-Breeders/dp/0976733412 this is a little on the old side, but everything in there is pretty good. the big change has been the move to using enclosures that have at least 6 square feet of ground space.
My advice is to check back with the reddit alot and read the posts and comments. That should help with common problems.
If possible buy direct from a breeder. you will get a healthier animal then what you will get from a big chain pet store.
https://i.imgur.com/yyYtXT7.png this graphic explains how to use morphmarket to find local breeders, if you have any breeders in your area. If you are able to buy local it is a bit less stressful on the snake, but getting one shipped is not too bad on them provided it is not too hot or too cold, and this winter has been pretty bad about being too cold
A rheostat is not a thermostat. a thermometer is not a thermostat. The $20 thermostats from amazon work. the thermostat probe goes under the tank with the heat mat.
getting an infrared thermometer will be helpful for dialing in the right temperatures
You didn't mention what kind of snakes you are looking for.
I got my first 2 snakes from Don Soderberg at South Mountain Reptiles. Over 40 years of experience breeding cornsnakes, and has published a book on it. Don responded in detail to multiple emails, sent me updated photos of a few snakes I was interested in, and all around was pleasant and professional. If you are interested in cornsnakes I think Don is an easy recommendation to beginners.