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Vaniver comments on Starting University Advice Repository - Less Wrong Discussion
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On the margin I think its usually better to take less and/or easier courses. It is better to do very well on an easier schedule than do "ok" on a hard schedule. If you apply for a job or grad school everyone will look at your gpa. If a semester is too easy this is not a serious problem. You can always read an extra textbook or do some coding projects in your spare time. Next semester you can up the difficulty. If a semester turns out to be too hard and you do badly the penalties are real (though survivable).
I was uncertain, coming from high school to university, whether or not I would adjust well. So I did the cautious thing and hedged: I only took 12 credit hours (the minimum load) the first semester.
About three weeks in I was talking to one of my professors, complaining that I was bored out of my mind. They offered me a research position in their lab, and getting involved in student research my first semester was much more helpful than a class would have been. Similarly, if you find yourself with spare time and energy, find a productive outlet for it. Get used to building in pad time for yourself and then using that pad time flexibly. (This is a key factor in avoiding burnout during your adult life, I think.)