Quote Originally Posted by Govtcheez
Honestly though, if I was in the instructor's shoes and you weren't able to explain a program that you had supposedly written, it'd look a lot like you had cheated.
Agreed. Sounds a lot like poor HelpMePlease.

This seems to be a common misconception about homework assignments. Many students believe the most important thing is to complete the assignment. That's obviously wrong. If the professor really wanted the assignment completed, the professor would probably write it himself/herself. Assignments are given as a learning oppertunity for the student. Simply completing the assignment is trivial; actually understanding the concepts necessary to complete the assignment is the important part. I completely agree with the grade you earned.

When I find a concept is difficult to understand, I take the same approach as I do when I program. I break it down and step back until I'm at concepts that I do completely understand. Then I slowly put it back together again. I encourage you to take a similar approach. Make a list of all the concepts you do understand, and then start building knowledge off of that foundation.