Hi. This is a very good question. I am a professor myself, and all of our students are now required to take a course with a name like "Learning to Learn". You are not the only one worrying or thinking about this. Most of your cohorts and peers will be in the same boat as you.
20 years ago when I was a student, my first year at uni was a waste of money and time. By second year I had it figured out:
- Take notes, by hand. It will hurt at first, but that will pass. Some schools copy the Cornell method
- Do homework as soon as possible so the theory from class is still fresh.
- Read notes out loud when you can, as if you are practising a speech.
- Don't cram or study until the last minute.
- If you are very serious, be prepared to lose sleep (I had 38 hours of class and 4 jobs that added up to about 50 hours... I slept 3 hours a night) or get a new rhythm like going to bed very early and getting up before everyone else.
- Use the library as a study place, or a café. Seeing others work helps you get in the mood.
My students have the same troubles I did, but with the added distraction of phones! Mute them, airplane mode, whatever. Study time and school come first if you actually care about grades. Weekends are the worst for distractions, but don't feel bad for having fun.