I just took the exam recently, and I agree with much of the advice above. First, remember that there is no substitute for studying hard during 1st and particularly 2nd year. If you work diligently during this time, boards studying is nothing more than a concise review of material you are already highly familiar with. Don't neglect your coursework completely, but I do endorse tailoring your studying toward whats in the board review books, because some schools probably do not cover everything that is boards-relevant (as was the case for me).
In the fall, I would purchase First Aid and BRS path and use these throughout the year with your course syllabi. Also, I highly recommend the Robbins text. I know this is a massive book, but it is really outstanding. If for no other reason, buy it for the images and schematics, which are excellent. That being said, you should make a serious attempt to get through this book if you find you like (or at least don't mind) reading it (I made it through about 75%, wish I had gotten through all of it, but it definitely helped come board studying time when I could go back and review some of the stuff I highlighted). If you hate it, don't force yourself to read it, but do look at the pictures. There's a great 'Infectious Diseases' section that will complement and integrate pathology into your microbiology course (integrations are important for the boards). I did not discover Goljan audio until my boards studying, but had I known about it earlier, I would have used that with coursework as well if I had time. For the spring, pick up BRS physiology and start reviewing that with coursework, especially if you are on a systems based curriculum.
The other key is to practice board QUESTIONS. Aim to complete 10,000 over the course of 2nd year. I got through probably close to 7000-8000, and by the time I got to the exam I felt as prepared as I could have been (although I will not get my score back for a few weeks, so I guess take that statement lightly). For 1st semester, get 'Robbins Review of Pathology' question book and do these during your pathology and pathophysiology courses. These questions are definitely similar in style, format, and difficulty (and sometimes even more difficult) to the real Step 1 exam. Next, do the questions from WebPath (
http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/webpath.html). These are free and are an excellent review. 3rd, do the questions in BRS pathology. These would be among the easier questions you'd see on the real exam, but will help you get used to doing questions and may help break up the monotony of reading. Why am I focusing so much on path questions? It's the most important subject on the test, and being strong in this area during the year will help you when you start your hardcore boards studying in the spring.
Later in the year, other question sources for me were First Aid Q&A, Elsevier online Qbank, and USMLE World. Don't purchase the online question banks until the spring (they are expensive, so it makes sense to utilize the cheaper question sources first). Complete one online question bank with coursework a few months prior to your hardcore boards studying. Then complete the other online question bank during your boards studying. This approach is hard work, but I believe it will prepare you sufficiently.
So to review:
2nd year books: Robbins textbook, BRS path and BRS phys, First Aid. I didn't use Goljan Rapid Review, but check that out as well, as many others have highly recommended it. Also, add Goljan audio if you feel you have enough free time.
2nd year question sources: Web Path, Robbins Review of Pathology, First Aid Q&A, Elsevier Qbank (Kaplan Qbank may be fine, I did not use it though so can't endorse it, also Kaplan is more expensive), USMLE World
I"m sure there are many other sources, this is just what I used and found to be sufficient
One last thing - take these recommendations lightly and know your personality. I am an average student but pretty motivated to learn and do well on the boards, so this was a good plan for me. Set goals for yourself and adapt these recommendations (and all the others on StudentDoctor) to your own personality and level of motivation. If I were smarter, I probably would not have done so much and spent more time partying during 2nd year!
Good luck with your studying, and remember to have some fun during 2nd year. It is a tough year if you're an average student who wants to do well (like me), but if you know when you're burning out and when you need to take a break you'll do fine.