ahlatsiawa

and be on top of the next week's lecture. But still, the transition is a little overwhelming.

The top-down system you are describing is the difference between undergrad and grad school (at least here). No one should be giving you the cold shoulder though, that's not cool.

Agreed with iphi, my undergrad experience was exactly how you describe the "top-down" system. In grad school it seems like we're reasonably expected to be capable of contributing more to our own (and each other's) learning than just attentive listening and a few follow-up questions.