What other students “always get” doesn’t impact your grade or what credit you may get at a college. You still need to take the class, work hard, and succeed on the test.
It sounds like you have a good teacher/program, so diligent effort should produce the desired results.
The value of a 4th year of a language has been discussed, but your question about whether there’s a better class to take can’t be answered without knowing what else you have taken/are taking/plan to take and your school’s alternatives.