Start by learning Reverse Polish notation. Don’t just grasp the concept; use it to solve several real, complex problems. If you have any programming knowledge at all, implement a calculator which uses RPN input. This lays the foundation for understanding a stack-based, postfix system, which is what Japanese really is.
Learn Scheme. Whether or not you have any other programming knowledge, or even interest in programming, you need to get used to operating in a grammar fundamentally unlike that of English. At a bare minimum, take a course which uses this language to teach functional programming. Think hard about the differences between prefix notation and postfix notation, and why all those parentheses are really necessary. If you haven’t done so already, implement your RPN-input calculator in this language.
Next, take a Japanese 1 course, or self-study up to about JLPT 4 level. This will give you foundations in Japanese to understand the more advanced material to come.
Start reading additional work to supplement your classwork in Japanese. I’d start with Making Sense of Japanese, which is an excellent series of essays by a veteran Japanese teacher which expand and clarify the troublesome aspects of Japanese grammar.
Start reading and translating works intended for a Japanese audience well before you’re ‘ready.’ Manga might seem like a good idea, but it is too tempting to just infer everything from the pictures and gloss over the actual translation. Instead, start working your way through light novels. A basic dictionary and kanji dictionary will of course be essential. Depending on the amount of self-study and translation you do, you may find a grammar dictionary useful. Continue with your studies as seems best.
The major problem that people have with Japanese grammar is that they don’t have a mental framework which allows them to integrate those aspects which don’t translate naturally into English. Introducing them as part of a programming language makes them much easier to swallow, and helps build a generalized grammar model which is useful when learning any new language.
Of course, taking a Japanese course is one of the best ways to learn the language, but it is important to supplement the course with self-study as soon and as much as possible. The most important thing to remember is that, though there are significant obstacles in terms of memorization, Japanese isn’t just learnable; it is fun.
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