Buy your course books immediately after your first class meeting and take them to every class. Buying them before that is risky, since some classes are canceled for lack of attendance or the reading list is changed.
Review your class syllabus carefully, marking assignments and due dates in highlighter or colored pen. Jot down any extra assignments your instructor gives during class. Transfer this information onto a large home calendar.
Purchase all of the items you'll need for science or computer lab assignments well ahead of time.
Skim tables of contents to see how long each reading assignment is. Plan accordingly.
Take enough paper and writing implements for quizzes and essay exams even if your instructor has not announced any.
Make sure you finish all of the assigned reading for that day before showing up to class. An assignment written next to a date on the syllabus means to finish the reading by that day, not to start it.
Look up any words you don't understand as you read. Asking your instructor for a definition during class will not always get a favorable response.
Mark your text with your own comments, questions, underlinings and arrows. Prepare to ask one intelligent question as well as answer one.
Buy and keep ready at home your own dictionary, stapler, paper, writing materials and folders.