Budget enough time for the class.
The SSU Catalog states that you should spend "at least two hours outside of class for every hour in class." For example, look at the numbers for CS 250:

CS 250 is a three unit class for CS majors, not a GE class. A CS 250 student should plan to spend at least 15 to 20 hours per week on the class.

Attend lecture.
Lecture is key to putting together the big picture. It is difficult to make up what you miss, even by reading another student's notes. Lecture will be much more valuable if you read the relevant sections of the book before the lecture.

Read the book correctly.
Reading technical material is not like reading a novel. All of us need to read it several times in order to understand it.

• As you read, make a written note of anything that is unclear. Ask your instructor to explain it to you.
• Try to work examples in the book without first looking at the book's solution. Refer to the book's solution to check yours.
• Redo the book's examples one or more days later. Keep working on it until you can reproduce the solution without referring to the book.

Use pencil and paper.
Write each program on paper before entering it on the computer. I believe there is an important hand-brain connection that takes places in this process. Also, you will need to write code on paper during exams, so get some practice.

Study the programs, don't just get them to work.
Many students think the job is done when the program runs. Not true!

1. Set your program aside and do it all over again. If you really understand the concepts, writing the program again should be very easy.
2. Write the program again with minor variations.

Use the debugger.
It is a great learning tool. You can use it to follow exactly what each instruction is doing in the computer. Make sure that you use a pencil and paper to take notes while you single-step through your programs with the debugger.

Ask me questions.
Don't wait until the night before the exam! You will be spending three hours in the lab with me each week, and I'm very reachable through email, even (usually) on weekends.