Vocab studying strategies?

[clownshoes.livejournal.com]

I'm a first-year Russian student and am grasping all of the grammar perfectly, missing little to no points on tests, and any mistakes are usually careless errors. On the other hand, the actual vocabulary is KILLING me. Example: on my midterm, I would have had an A if I had known all of the vocabulary for the translation portion; instead, I got a D. I've tried various studying methods, and none seem to be working for me.

And thus, the question for the community:
What methods for studying Russian have you guys tried that have worked especially well?