C is quite difficult for someone who has had no prior experience in programming.

Take CSC110 if possible since it's taught in Python

If you have no background in CSC I would recommend getting Bird as your prof, doubt I would have passed with a different prof, very good and in depth examples, if you have no CSC background do NOT miss any lectures.

Go to all lectures and try all assignments by yourself before asking anyone else for help / a push in the right direction.

This is an essential course for learning datatypes, pointers, and structures for C++. Bill Bird did a great job of teaching with real-time examples; though the content could get boring at points, he did a great job of keeping the lectures engaging.

Put lots of effort into assignments - these are the best way to learn. Don't worry too much about taking notes in lecture; it's more important to understand the concepts.

Bill Bird is a great professor to have for this class. He is great at thoroughly explaining concepts and keeps lectures fun and interesting. I had never coded before taking this class, don't worry if you are in the same boat.

Practice writing code to become more comfortable. Before an exam, try to make up a problem similar to one showed in class, and then write code to solve it. Do this multiple times with all concepts you think may appear on the test.