I'm taking EECS 370 over the summer right now after dropping it the previous semester. One of the major reasons I dropped this class is because of how long it was taking me. I'm just so slow at processing things that even after watching lectures 2-3 times, I'm still leave feeling confused what's going on. It doesn't help that I feel that these words just sound like gibberish to me and that no matter how much I time I spend alone or with peers explaining the topic to me, I just can't understand it. On average, I'd say it takes me 2x as long as the average CS student to learn.
Office hours are pretty much useless as many times I just feel like I'm stroking the ego of the IA's because I feel as if they can't comprehend how much content has to be broken down for me to understand. My brain gets overwhelmed with so much information that I feel as if I'm in a constant state of being overwhelmed. I ask questions and I come diligently, but it is not enough...Friends don't help much as well...Projects take so long to code and studying for exams takes a long time as well.
The only I've been able to survive this far is from my mother - literally - learning the content with me and tutoring me through college. I literally cannot comprehend what's happening without it. Over the course of my life, she and very few other teachers and tutors were able to help me actually understand the material. And in fact, once I understand what's going on, I'm quick to pick it up and master it (something my teachers HS and college have told me). I've also had a dear friend in CS who has also helped me time to time in my previous CS classes.
I really love programming. When going to lab for 370 today, I realized how much I love learning it and how much genuine happiness CS brings into my life. However, I'm already on track for graduating in 5 years (minimum) and can't keep up with CS classes without selling my soul. I don't think I can't complete 370 without doing like ~60 hours per week. When I did 281 over the summer, It took me around ~70 per week. I literally was spending 12 hours every day working on it (including eating while studying) and had no time outside the class. I just love programming so much, so it's easy to spend that much time in the moment.
Obviously, I'm not going to make this decision via Reddit opinions. But I'd love to gain perspectives that differ besides the ones of my parents, advisors, and my therapist.