Read the chapter to be discussed in lecture before coming to class. You will get a lot more out of the lecture because you will have seen some of the vocabulary and basic principles. After the lecture, reread your notes and review the concepts we discussed in class and then rework the problems we did in class. Problems at the end of the chapter will help pull concepts together and demonstrate relationships between the concepts in the chapter. Remember to seek outside help when you are having difficulty with particular concepts or problems.
Many students find it helpful to get together in study groups to work problems and test each other.
Explaining a concept to a peer will help you learn the material better than rereading it a dozen times. You are encouraged to form a study group with 1-3 other people in the class. This has been found to be a very effective learning tool for most science students. I will not assign groups nor require them because some people do work better alone. For this to be effective you need the right group.