Sarah, if you don't feel your advancing like you should be, I think that the best person to discuss it with would be your instructor.
As far as using a pendulum, I've never used one so I don't really know. I'd guess that it would depend on what you are intending to use it for. This is also a good question for the instructor of you class.
[ May 13, 2005, 12:48 AM: Message edited by: Renee ]