MOOP!

Oh yeah, definitely on #1. Basically, for each new class, get there at least half an hour before class (if possible), so that you'll 1) Know where the room is, and 2) get a good seat. Although this semester I found it has the additional benefit of 3) Being able to tell the department that the room scheduled for the class is under renovation, with enough time for them to find a usable room for the class by the time it's scheduled to start. If you have classes that are back-to-back, know where the second class is beforehand.

Also, professor office hours are your friend. They have the dual purpose of 1) helping you understand material that may be unclear, and 2) Introducing yourself to the professor. Professors who know your name will be more likely to remember you, and be able to give good letters of recommendation, or depending on the professor, you could do research under them.

Also, joining professional societies in your major is a good thing... 1) looks good on your resume, and 2) great networking potential - both for friends, and for colleagues, and 3) You usually get to learn supplementary stuff that you wouldn't necessarily learn in class. Or earlier than you normally would in class (depending on the major). Networking with guest speakers is also a good idea, when possible. Oh, and you can meet upperclassmen who would be able to give you pointers for various classes/teachers.

Speaking of teachers, there also exist sites that have reviews of various professors. The two that are popular at my school are PickaProf (http://www.pickaprof.com) and Rate My Professors (http://www.ratemyprofessors.com). There are also others that exist, that can probably be found through Google. Said upperclassmen would be able to tell you which one(s) are most used at your school.

Also, I suspect you find this (http://www.talesofmu.com/) comic interesting. It is... unusual, in many respects, yet the style of writing is engaging.

(Hopefully all that was coherent. I haven't had much sleep this week, and I haven't had lunch yet today.)