Some really good questions - a fantastic start on day one!
San - the question of how to get a course rep in the first place is a really important one. Sometimes, all it takes is for a proactive student to approach the school, college or institution to request a monthly or termly meeting where student reps can sit down with a head of department or equivalent.
I'd really encourage you to raise this in your institution, and stress the importance of having a forum where students can raise issues.
Jenny - hidden course costs, is something NUS has done some research about, and perhaps doesn't always get the coverage it deserves.
I'd encourage you to keep a tab on these 'hidden costs' that keep cropping up and bring these to the attention of your institution.
If necessary, it might be worth getting other students on board with you, to try and make an issue of this, if it's consistently too high.
Samesh - it's definitely not right for the college to simply choose who the course rep should be. In an ideal world, the students should elect a course rep. If that isn't possible, it should definitely be the students themselves who choose the representative, and not allow the college to hand pick someone who may not raise the full spectrum of issues.
Danni - meeting times needs to be set well in advance, clearly communicated, and due consideration given to students about when they take place. If this isn't the case, I'd say your institution isn't taking listening to students seriously enough - a point which should be raised with them directly.