Most entry level engineering classes (first 3/4 semesters) in most of Europe (all kinds) are designed to gate keep.

I graduated in chemistry, and Chemistry 1 in engineering had tests much more difficult than any other Chemistry 1 in any other faculty. After noticing that the same pattern applied to Physics 1 or Calculus I started realizing it was an engineering thing, which was later confirmed to me by an associate professor that was the design.

I asked him why, and he told me that it's a long established thing that you don't want people that struggle with science fundamentals to build bridges, ships or electrical circuits so the first semesters are very focused on this weeding.

I came into CS during a year they were trying to rework the intro class. Several of the homework assignments simply did not work. Which taught me that procrastination doesn’t just feel good, it also pays off. If I waited until three days before it was due before I even looked at it, there would be a whole thread about corrections and clarifications. Though in a couple cases they were still sorting things out and people were calling for extensions (one of which I believe we got).

And this at a top ten school for CS.

There are healthy ways to exploit an urge to procrastinate but this is just feeding the monster, and I hope the prof was ashamed of himself.

Ahh perhaps that explains why I had Stress Analysis and Material Science in the first semester of CE... they were far harder than anything in following four years. I thought they were filler LOL. This was back in 92.