Those art classes sound moronic. How are you supposed to learn anything if they neither teach you or tell you what they want? (Though the bullshitting about a deeper meaning sounds familiar to many college classes.Perhaps the deeper meaning is your proffesor is a nut.)

Don't know what to say about the german proffesor...well I could say something about it but I'm fairly certain it would be innapropraite.

Also it's not a reward if it is manditory. Even pleasant things become unpleasant when one is forced to do them.

Hang in there! Maybe next semester will be better!