TL;DR - I picked the hardest school and lost half a year. Match the school to your current level, drop what doesn't work, sleep, and put yourself out there.
I'll tell you exactly what not to do when studying CS - because I did most of it.
Don't pick the hardest school to prove something. Choose the school based on the skill you currently have. I came out of high school not knowing how to learn, chose the hardest school, failed, and lost half a year. I wasn't the academic weapon at 19 that I imagined. A school you can actually handle plus real work experience alongside it beats the prestigious one that breaks you - school is one thing, experience is a separate thing, and having both is the strongest position.
Don't force lectures that aren't working. Go to the first ones and give them a chance. But when you feel you're learning nothing, stop. Spend 20 minutes practicing what the lecture covers instead - you'll get more out of it.
Don't sacrifice sleep. In my first year I was waking up at 6:00, studying, then working - and the information wasn't retained, because I wasn't sleeping. Information locks in during sleep. Sleep well five days a week; then go out.
Don't stay invisible. Put yourself out there. I was lucky that my father had connections and helped me at the beginning - if you don't have that, visibility is how you create your own.
Do invest in your setup and in yourself. The money you earn as a student shouldn't go into stocks - put it into your work environment first. My room is set up so that when I sit down, I'm locked in instantly: two standing desks, one with a treadmill, everything in its place. Zero friction to start. And take care of how you look - wear clothes you feel confident in, exercise. Looking good and feeling good is a performance input, not vanity.