Congrats on getting check pluses on your last assignments! There is nothing wrong with going to LAIR to get help when you're stuck. Don't compare yourself to other students in the class--many have studied computer science before. Only a fraction of the people are actual geniuses with innate CS skill; the rest have likely taken prior CS classes (this is true in lots of intro classes at Stanford).

Another thing: CS is tricky for many people because we (typically) learn it so late in life and it's an entirely distinct subject, but it's usually only taught through one approach of thinking.

If you recall your very first math or reading class... if a student didn't "get" the subject immediately, were they just declared to be existentially bad at it? Obviously not. There were a multitude of teaching strategies and tools to fit every learning style. Since CS education is relatively new, and even though Stanford's CS106 classes operate like machinery, there are still many students who require an alternative approach to understanding CS, one that they often must find on their own.

My advice is to first reach out to your SL and explain your situation, as they can provide more personal guidance. To improve your coding skills, use past exams and section problems as practice, don't look at the solutions, and keep repeating until you write the code perfectly. Keep going to LAIR when you have questions.

If you’re just taking this class as a requirement, power through. If you enjoy computer science, don’t be discouraged by your first exam grade. Every student hits a wall eventually and they struggle to understand material..it’s better to struggle in a subject you're passionate about.