A lot of what I did to hack my education was specific to my particular circumstances, but two pieces of general advice should apply to anyone: 1) Choose classe

A lot of what I did to hack my education was specific to my particular circumstances, but two pieces of general advice should apply to anyone: 1) Choose classes based on the professor, not the subject. Ask around to find out who the exceptional professors are-- you'll find out, quickly-- and take whatever they are offering. A good professor can make the dullest subject come to life; a bad professor can suck the life out of the most fascinating topic. 2) Treat studying as a job. Set aside a couple of hours a day, preferably at a fixed time, to do focused, head-down, no nonsense studying. I used a study carrel in the library, every day for two hours. Two hours a day was all it took, to stay ahead of the pack in all subjects, and still have endless time for a very active social/extra-curricular life.