Possible Clues:

• Compensate for prior laziness, perhaps
• Make up for skipping classes, perhaps
• Stuff, as into a suitcase
• Revolutionary hurt by constant press
• Study into the wee hours, perhaps
• Quickly learn one's lesson?
• Make up for a semester of slacking off
• Intensively study some basic education in academic stream
• Finally hit the books
• Stuff beginning to rot in river at Cambridge