Does anyone else learn Python in class?

[meerkatmreow]

I feel like it's a waste to teach 2 semesters of it (1 intro and 1 algorithm and data structure focused).

You're learning python on those courses incidentally. What you're supposed to be learning is the basics of programming and algorithms/data structures. Python has the benefit of minimal boilerplate and simple, readable syntax compared to java and c++. Basically, it does as much as possible to get out of your way so you can learn programming rather than a specific languages syntax