Ya. I checked my course schedule, and rearranged things so that I start learning C# followed by C++. I think (based on what I've read anyway) going C# into C++ is my best bet based on my options.
Yeah, C#/Java (which is basically the same) is a good place to start before C++. The only issues with this is that really bad programmers will usually give up on C++, and, in fact, programming in general, as many things are unnecessarily complicated, whereas they might be able to get things to work, albeit nastily in Java/C#, and then you end up with the masses of Java software that's really poorly written and gives the language a reputation of being slow.
If you're doing a course instead of blindly copying code off the internet, though, then you're less likely to become one of these bad programmers, so none of this actually applies to this situation at all.
Please don't put them side to side. They're not the same (or even close to). There's a lot of differences.
Things like LINQ and Lambda expressions make it a joy to program in C#.
Java has lambdas now, and a quick google of LINQ tells me that there's a Java port.
Well I am actually kind of trying to figure out my course schedule at the moment. With my degree I was given a choice of 4 tracks (choose 2). Apparently I am supposed to be taking these "tracks" at the same time. According to that logic I should be taking C# Intro, and C++ Intro during this Fall.
EDIT: You know what I need to write an e-mail, and get my stuff together on this one.
EDIT 2: Welp I just e-mailed my department head so this can get sorted out. Also I'm sorry, but I do not know much about the politics that surround C#/++ or Java.
C++ is an older language which allows you to do more things, but doesn't hold your hand at all. Java is a higher level language that does a lot of the work for you and provides you with loads of convenient tools so you can make something that works pretty quickly, but it can create slow programs if you don't use it properly as it makes assumptions about what you're trying to do. C# was originally a rip-off of Java, but has actually become a much nicer language in many ways these days. Java's catching up again, but there will always be a few things C# will do better as it skipped some stuff that turned out to be bad in Java which looked like a good idea originally.