What books ARE ESSENTIAL TO BECOMING A "LEARNED" college STUDENT?

First go buy a dictionary and "Basics: A Rhetoric and Handbook." "LEARNED" college student??? Maybe you meant, EDUCATED college student!!! If you're reading something and don't understand the word(s), pause, and look it up in the dictionary. And get back to reading. The best way to fit reading into your schedule is to set aside a hour or two to read your text. Not two straight hours, take a break, and finish the second hour later. And you should read "The User's Guide to College Writing." And check with your professors or your school's website, to find out what books you should be reading.