Dear Lucy
In fact,learning Chinese just like learning other languages is hard work.So you'd better spend lots of time practicing it every day.You can spend ten minutes reading Chinese aloud in the morning.If you think it's boring,why not watch some Chinese movies and listen to Chinese songs.It's not only interesting but also helpful for you.And you should speak Chinese as much as possibel.The more you practice,the better your Chinese will be.And it's a good idea to have a Chinese pen friend so that you can write to him.It can improve your Chinese writing skills.I hope my advice can help you.
Yours
Li Lei