Take notes which summarize, paraphrase, and remind--if all you do is copy down what your professor says, you'll miss most of the important information, and even worse, you'll miss the opportunity to process it there and then.
Review your notes while they're still fresh--you won't have to work nearly as hard to remember the material later.
Try to relate what you're learning to things you already know--the new information is much easier to retrieve from your memory when you need it and you'll make even more discoveries on your own!
Come prepared with a really good question from time to time--it requires you to explore your subject more, shows you're thinking, and keeps your professor alert.
If your professor asks for comments or discussion, participate as much as possible without being annoying--the more you use information, the more connections you make, the more you absorb, and the more you ultimately retain.
When you study your textbook, write questions, comments, and definitions right in the margins, and add important notes from class lectures--by questioning, criticizing, and interacting with your subject, you master it, and by organizing everything, you remember it.
Establish a regular routine for study and practice--you'll get more done and you won't feel guilty when you take time out to relax!
Get enough sleep, exercise, and fuel--if your body is dragging, it s l o w s your mind!
Learn how to write using a computer--it's easier, faster, looks better, and a lot more fun!
Turn in all of your assignments on time--professors tend to be a lot more critical of late work.
Start studying for your first exam on the very first day of class--the night before the test is way too late!
Don't skip class--you've already paid your class tuition, and if you skip, you'll pay in other ways!
If you're not getting the subject, get help, and get it early--in college, it's your responsibility to learn and the professor's responsibility to guide you.
Visit your professor at least two or three times a term during office hours to ask questions or just to discuss the class material--usually no-one ever comes, the professor will recognize you're really interested in the subject, and you'll provide some valuable feedback on how the class is going. Plus, you'll probably learn something that the rest of the class won't!
Learn your way around the library as soon as you can--that's where most of the answers are.
Get to know at least one person in your class--you can learn a lot just by discussing what's going on with someone else, and you might need to get or compare notes sometime.
You may find college difficult and competitive at times, but real life is even more so--you can't afford to be less than the best you can be!
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