Take advantage of your hirer education to learn what you want to learn
regardless of what is being taught. Your “education” and grades be
dammed. It is unlikely it'll matter later on anyway. At least if you have the
initiative to go your own way. The fact that you've switched to GNU/Linux and
now Trisquel is suggestive of your future success. Worry less about what they
are making you do (do the bare minimum) and then focus on what you want to
do.
Writing in a different language than that of your peers also has many
benefits. Some professors will consider looking at others code cheating. I
wouldn't. I call that LEARNING. At the end of the day your education should
be about picking up the concepts and being able to implement them in whatever
language is right for the job. You'll be way ahead if you can transition
conceptually from one language or technology to another.
As far as what I think about your professors. Your professors are lazy. It's
much easier to to force students into a particular technology or language
than to teach transferable concepts. The teachers should be teaching and
demonstrating concepts. Then leaving it up to the students to figure out
implementation.
