Ab initio languages at Edinburgh

I am currently studying German ab initio at Edinburgh, and all in all I think it's a pretty good course. The lecturers and tutorial leaders are great, and the material is generally good - they lay out what topics we need to learn very clearly. It is really intense, but if you're up to it then it's worth the effort.
That being said, the coursebook recommended (DaF Kompakt A1-B1) is pretty poor. I've spoken with others on the course and they agree - it isn't clearly laid out, and the exercises aren't helpful. For Semester 2, I decided I would just make a masterlist of all the grammar topics that we need to learn and use other resources to learn them. (Intending to use Hammer's German Grammar and Usage with the accompanying practice book).
Let me restate, it is a lot of work. It usually takes at least a year and a half, probably closer to two, to get from nothing to A2/B1 - you are expected to do so in around eight months. Compared to my school experience with French, it is night and day. Even those on my course who studied German a little before coming were surprised at how much there was, despite it being a beginners course. But if you have the motivation, willpower and ability to keep up, you'll manage fine. I'd be happy to answer any more specific questions if you have any, but such is my experience thus far.