Study every day - Studying one hour every day is more effective than studying every Sunday for seven hours. Also, the greater concentrated amount of time spent studying a language pays off exponentially. Studying 20 hours a week is more than twice as good as studying 10 hours a week. New words not spoken or used quickly fall out of memory. Develop a high tolerance for repetition.
Repetition is one big advantage that tapes have over classroom study.
In a classroom, the speaker cannot be made to repeat sentences countless times. Similarly, in class, students cannot say the same phrase over and over for practice sake. With repetition, students are striving to internalize structures, much the way one learns to play a musical instrument or drive a car. That is, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation are concurrently practiced. Predetermine motivation, purpose, and a study schedule and commit to maintaining it.