They seem unfair to me :). I learned most afterwards when I was sitting in room alone and really learning. I was present at lectures wrote notes and all that, but found it hard/uncomfortable to absorb it immediately or form an opinion. I prefer to have time to think about material before being questioned on it.

My grades were good, so I do not think it is the issue of me being incapable of college level of learning.

I also usually managed to get enough participation points or answers or whatever was necessary for the grade, but rarely felt that the whole thing added something to my learning. It felt more like waste of time, especially those parts when people asked or had comments only to show they are participating.