I have found a friend willing to sit with me and say Chinese words. Now that I have been doing it, I see the value of this practice. Now that I know this is the case, if I did not have the help, I would likely be willing to pay some amount. It will have great value if I keep it up. I think it is much more effective than films, where you only hear the words quickly -and only once. Try it and see.

study grammar books, preferably those with excercises and answer key. Find more examples on websites/blogs, practice what you have learnt by doing excercises and making sentences in your own words. Get feedbacks from classmates and teachers. Keys: read and write more (if you want to be success in your written exams) ;-) Good luck!