If you haven't made a habit of studying regularly:

Begin organizing your course work.
Keep all your notes from class in one note book.
Develop a strategy for studying and test preparation.
           Note-taking Formats

Determine the main points of lectures and textbooks.
Determine information to be covered on the exam.
           Learning to Listen to University Lectures

Complete all required readings before the material is covered in class; doing the reading ahead of time will help familiarize you with names, terms, and concepts.

After you have had the first test, examine it to determine how the test is formatted and how the instructor asks questions. A good way to get ready for the next test is to begin writing questions you think might be asked.
      How to Predict Test Questions

If you know what the essay questions might be, outline your answer. Don't make the mistake of just learning the facts; think about them and try to figure out how they are
related. For a history course, an essay must be more than a recitation of facts. Do not simply repeat what you hear in class.

Set a realistic goal for the exam; determine how much time you will need to study each day. For a college level class, expect to spend 2 to 3 hours studying for each hour in class.

Use whatever study aids are available; at the beginning of the the semester, ask the instructor if study guides are available. Find out if the school library provides study aids. Check to see if the school provides tutors or study skill workshops.

When you actually begin to study, select a place where you can study without being disturbed.
         When to Study, Where to Study  

Develop the habit of studying the same time each day if you are able.

The best way to become familiar with new information is to review your notes as soon as you can after a lecture. The more often you see an unfamiliar name or term, the
easier it will be to recognize it.

      Review notes as frequently as possible.

Many college classes will have two tests during the semester and a final exam. Obviously, this means that one poor grade can seriously effect the final grade. That should provide a strong incentive to prepare early. If you know at the beginning of the semester that the final will be cumulative, reviewing class notes is the only way to be fully prepared. Don't ask for extra credit assignments; they create more work for instructors and take time away from scheduled assignments. If you don't do as well on one exam as you would like, the most sensible course of action would be to determine how to prepare for the next exam
more effectively. Don't complain, don't make excuses.

Don't expect to be warned about pop quizzes; teachers may use them to find out if students are reading assigned material.

Don't try to cover large chunks of information. Chapters are usually divided into sections; read one section; pick out the main ideas; make sure you understand them then move to the next section.

Plan to study for 50 to 60 minutes then take a break. It's difficult to stay focused for long periods without a break.

         Spread your study time over the course of the week.

Plan out your schedule so that you have some study time every day. If your schedule is too tight for this, you should at least be able to study history three times during the week and a couple times over the weekend. One hour a day of study time spread out over the week will be more effective than a five-hour session before an exam. Remember, your attention span and short-term memory will not be as stressed by studying in shorter but more frequent sessions.

Begin covering new material as soon as you can. This will give your brain time for the new material to sink in. Studying 45 to 50 minutes twice a day day can be more effective than studying for 2 hour session. And studying 90 minutes each day over a period of a week is more effective than spending a whole night cramming.

Cramming creates information overload and prevents you from being able to organize and understand new information. Spend time every day reviewing the material. Cramming results in the rapid loss of newly learned information. Your time will be better spent learning the material at a steady pace because you will spend less time re-learning information.

Consider forming a study group; it might make it easier to divide up the work.

      Take thorough notes.
"When you go to class, it is a time to work hard and concentrate.  Whether it is a lecture, discussion, video, or other situation, you need to take notes, and good notes.
This is a MUST if any of the other study tips are to be followed.  Very few of us, myself included, can remember numerous ideas, concepts, or statistics even ten minutes after learning them.  You must write these things down, whether or not the professor puts it on an overhead transparency or provides a class outline.  That means that you need to be efficient, so that you don't spend so much time writing down every last word that is said or written in class.  In some way that you are comfortable with, you need to document what has transpired in class.  Some students use mini-cassette recorders, so that after class they can take good notes on their own time.  Others will rewrite and organize their notes after each class so that they are more understandable.  If you are a decent note taker already, then your own notes from class should suffice."   DR. TOM'S STUDY TIPS