[quote=@Intrepid]
<Snipped quote by Techspert>

Seems that class is going to turn out to be one of those classes where the homework is long and difficult as heck but all the in-class stuff is leagues below it.
[/quote]

The class is learning new ways of expressing the same concept. It seems pointless, but you're abstracting concrete knowledge so you can apply high-level techniques later. Maybe your book is just stupid, but the class should end up being manageable.