<p>I think the general interpretation is that it's a difference of thinking styles -- the professors are trying to get you to think about how to do things, and if you think you already know how to do them but your professors disagree, things are not going to be pretty for you. So it's not that the knowledge harms you per se, but it harms you if you are too stubborn to realize that there's a lot left to learn.</p>
<p>Personally, I wish I'd taken AP Chem and AP Physics in high school, or self-studied the summer before freshman year, or anything other than what really happened. Going in with weak prep in chemistry and very weak prep in physics makes for a not-so-fun first semester.</p>