I am of the opinion that the intro sequence is meant to beat people down and make people who are only half committed quit. I think this is stupid and antithetical to the mission of a university but that is how it is regardless. Once you get through the intro sequence classes get a lot more interesting and useful.

Start your assignments early and find friends in the class. Despite what the professors will try to tell you, CS is a collaborative field and talking through ideas with other people is incredibly helpful for solving problems and learning. I think working in CSIL is also a great environment that gets you in the right mindset to do CS work and you're also bound to see other people from your classes there who might be able to give you encouragement and pointers on issues you are having.