The first thing that I'd suggest is to sit down when you have a couple hours of free time and write down every single lesson that has been taught in each class up to this point. If you have a syllabus this will help tremendously. Then go back through and make some notes on each lesson as to what you do understand about it and what you need some help on. This sheet will help serve as kind of a road map to keep you focused as you go along and it'll feel great to start checking lessons off as you get them done.
The next thing that I think I would do is to enlist the help of your classmates. If there are any people that you know well in any of the classes ask them to join you for a study session one afternoon. You could probably work out some sort of a barter system here... if, for instance, you need help on lesson 10 and your buddy needs help on lesson 14, then you study the heck out of lesson 14 before you meet and then teach it to him and vice versa. (This is also a great way to meet girls!
)
Another option here is to get the whole class involved and start a Get-Ready-For-Exams-They're-Only-Two-Months-Away study group. Find a spot the whole class could meet and then start organizing a time that is good for everyone. Pick a couple of topics for discussion and then sit down and take notes as everyone else does the talking. Attendance might be a bit spotty this far away from exams but it should pick up a lot as they get closer.
Depending on the size of your school, you can also try going to the professor for some help. (I went to a fairly small college - the biggest class I ever had was about 35 people - and knew the professors pretty well. If you're going to a state university then this might not work as well, but maybe you could try a TA?) Anyway, go to the professor and tell him/her that you are kinda lost and need some help on some earlier lessons. Since there is still plenty of time before the end of the semester they will probably be happy to help you (much happier than they will be the last week of the semester
). Also don't discount the effect of professor-goodwill. If they see you working hard to catch up then they will be much more willing to help out more as exams get closer.
And lastly, as far as your paper and the current lectures go... Definitely keep going to the lectures. Even if you aren't totally up to speed on what is being discussed you'll at least be able to take notes that you can review later. If you stop going, then you'll end up having to teach yourself everything from the second half of the semester as well as the first. Also, the professors will (hopefully) see you there and see that you are indeed working hard.
Go ahead and start on the paper as soon as you can as well. Getting that done will be a tremendous weight off your shoulders and will probably serve as a study aid in that class. If you can get that done in a relaxed manner then you won't be sleep deprived going into the exams and will be in a much better mindset come crunch time.
Hope that helps!
Stay focused but don't forget to relax as well.