I can sympathise with you, I was on the second introductory course and did get the impression that we were guinea pigs.
There's not a lot you can do about it though. Keep your head in the books, the information won't be spoonfed to you. You'll have to take the initiative and decide what you need to study.
The best advice I can give you is to remain 'grey'. Keep your head in the books, work to the best of your ability and try to remain grey.
If you ever feel behind or not too sure about what is required, either talk to the instructors (they're a nice lot really
) or come and talk to some of the other students who have been through the courses. I'm sure some of us on Area 1 would be glad to help.
It's hard work. You'll have highs and lows but in the end it's worth every bit of effort. It gets better I can assure you.
Best of luck with your training
