I recall the first circuit theory course in MIT's electrical engineering program. Totally abstract, theoretical, and impractical stuff. Great lecturer, whose text book was used. But the lecture hall had 250 seats! There was practically no opportunity for questions. All the class interactions happened in a "recitation class" where assigned problems were discussed. These were lead by a grad student, often sporting a foreign accent. About a third of the students flunked this course!

A friend (enough for me to be his best man) flunked this course. He was a ham, designed and built his own transmitter from parts, built a puzzle solving stepping relay based box, "foo counters", etc. It crushed him! No collaborative help from me because I switched from Chemical Engineering to Electrical Engineering and took the course a year later. My friend eventually got a Math degree from Clemson.