It depends on your level of skill in programming, but you DID mention you're a freshmen so I assume you're starting 'fresh' (*nudge nudge* get it?)
So...
This sounds like much more than a 'computer science project' to me, this is Software Engineering at its roots. You must plan, design and implement what you have created into a final product.
Here are some "loose" steps here I can offer you since I don't really know your skill level or what is to be taught and how:
1. Find a need - why is this program you're going to make, going to be useful? What makes this program important, or how can it meet the needs of an objective?
2. In relation to #1, create something called 'use cases' or 'use case scenarios' which can help you create scenarios as to how this proposed system would run and how it would interact with users / people.
3. UML Diagrams / or just making some diagrams -- create diagrams that help show the flow of information to how this program could potentially work. You could show diagrams of how it could interact, or even how it may be programmed (these are class diagrams, you may want to Google search that)
4. Once you have at least steps 1-3 done, it's time to start programming what you have designed. Hopefully in step #3 it shows some kind of structural analysis as to how you would like to do your programming, such as what classes would need what (and that is really only learned by being taught, there's no real blue print as to how classes should be laid out, since all programs vary).
5. Once your done coding, review 1-4 and see if you need to make any changes. If you do, "Rinse and Repeat" meaning, go through all 4 steps and ensure that you have consistency and test, we call this 'Regression Testing'.
6. GOOD LUCK.
My professor gave us a project where we must code some information, run it, compile, etc. I'm a freshman and it's the third week of school, so I am not fluent with computer science yet, but I was wanting to know how I should tackle a project. It's due on the 24th of this month
