Young Man,
There are 3 things you need to do to become an exceptional college student and I will not charge you a dime for this extremely valuable information. Let us begin:
1. Begin a disciplined exercise regimen that consists of sustained aerobic activity every day. Cross-training is fine and even preferred. Run, bike, swim, walk, climb, engage in a bit of hanky-panky, etc. Read the book "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain" by John Ratey for inspiration. Sleep is a natural side-effect of vigorous exercise. Exercise is good for the brain.
2. Learn MindMapping (The Buzan way) and begin to take notes in this fashion. Mindmaps use a basic ordering idea and radiate out from the center. It is an efficient and very effective way to capture important points. More importantly, it helps to instantly cull away non-essentials. MindMap the textbook. Mindmap the lecture.
3. Cure your addictions. Whether it be nicotine, Alcohol or even processed sugar. Read Allen Carr's "EasyWay" to quit smoking/drinking/overeating. A 25 year old is resistant to the self inflicted poisons of youth (Beer, Cigs, etc) At 35, your body is spending a lot of it's precious energy dealing with toxicity and withdrawal. There is no morality play here. Simple Science. Alcohol, for instance, is a highly toxic poison. let that go. You will be much happier.
This will make you stronger, smarter, sexier and wealthier and will probably make you live longer.
Godspeed!