You will need to write different kinds of programs in subsequent computer science courses. Many jobs require good programming skills.
Programming is fun.
You will learn the C language to start writing real programs. You will learn some basic program development strategies. The aim of this course is to help you build up a solid foundation in programming that is expected of every computer science and engineering major student. This is a relatively fast paced course, so you should read ahead of every lecture. Reading and understanding the materials in the textbook is very important.