Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US campus) to study hard.

1927		W.R. Morse ‘Stanford Expressions’ in AS II:6 276: hit the books—a study.
1932		J.A. Shidler ‘More Stanford Expressions’ in AS VII:6 437: If a student gets a ‘smoke-up,’ a notice that he is failing, he starts to ‘bone,’ dryball,’ ‘Phi-bete,’ ‘grind,’ ‘hit the books,’ ‘crack books,’ or ‘dust ’em off,’ which is to study.
1953		L. Uris Battle Cry (1964) 99: I’d better hit those books before taps.
1963		Dundes & Schonhorn ‘Kansas University Sl.: A New Generation’ in AS XXXVIII:3 167: To study extremely diligently for an examination: hit the books.
1966		(con. 1958) R. Farina Been Down So Long (1972) 55: May I go now? Ought to be hitting the books.
1967		A. Baraka Tales (1969) 16: I know some of you who’d better be in your rooms [...] hitting those books.
1967–8		Baker et al. CUSS 137: Hit it Work (study) hard and concentratedly.
1974		J. Lahr Hot to Trot 223: I’ve got to hit the books.
1985		Eble Campus Sl. Oct. 6: hit the books – to study for classes.
1991		B. Hamper Rivethead (1992) 17: I just had nothing else to do but hit the books as I baby-sat my younger brothers and sisters.
1997		Simon & Burns Corner (1998) 403: She’d hit the books before the first test, maybe find a tutor.
2007		S. Maloney Sucked In 205: He was home hitting the books. Did I have any thoughts on the consequences of the French Revolution?