The best college studying tactic has only three requirements. One, a handheld pen or pencil. Two, a good sturdy paper notebook. Three, your butt in the chair at the start of lecture.
In the modern age, using technology to improve education has simplified many academic endeavors. Researching topics online is many times faster than scouring a library for obscure references. Online sharing technologies like google docs have made coordinating with a group much easier, even allowing collaboration from different places at different times.
Still, there are some times when doing it the old fashioned way is notably better. First off, you need to go to class in person. More and more classes feature content online, from lecture slides to recordings. This coupled with the lax attendance records of many college classes makes it quite tempting to skip class altogether. This is a major mistake however, and will lead to lower performance in class.
Another counter-intuitive way to improve academic performance is to leave the laptop at home. While a laptop is almost essential for every college student to keep up with work on the go, research suggests the best way to learn in class is by taking hand-written notes. While students may be able to type faster than they can write, this may actually hurt retention and understanding of lectures. Apparently writing by hand uses a different part of the brain than typing.
Even in the modern era, there are some educational traditions which endure for a reason.