My comment about learning by myself was meant to highlight that I'm just hobbyist (and everyone is really, until they start getting paid) coming from a very different and almost unrelated discipline, but I still breezed through most of the classes I took. Compare that to kids who are seriously majoring in the field but honestly have no clue what they're doing (I met and even helped a few). It's amusing on one point, at least I thought so.
About dealing with idiots in classes, I suppose it depends on where you take such classes. Some classes aren't very rigid in their schedule for the semester, so the teachers are allowed to spend additional time on subjects if they want to. Others are sink or swim environments; people either learn it or they don't. The latter was closer to what I experienced. Given that the class size was probably well over 200 students (it was taught in a large lecture hall, recitations were split between about 9 TAs) and the fact that the department set strict minimums for what needed to be covered, we really didn't slow down. Just once an assignment was pushed back, but the lessons themselves continued.
About dealing with idiots in classes, I suppose it depends on where you take such classes. Some classes aren't very rigid in their schedule for the semester, so the teachers are allowed to spend additional time on subjects if they want to. Others are sink or swim environments; people either learn it or they don't. The latter was closer to what I experienced. Given that the class size was probably well over 200 students (it was taught in a large lecture hall, recitations were split between about 9 TAs) and the fact that the department set strict minimums for what needed to be covered, we really didn't slow down. Just once an assignment was pushed back, but the lessons themselves continued.