sucks you didn't have as good a time as possible. hopefully you still had fun.
not sure what org it was with, but they're all a little different... that said, what's generally not different is that if you grab an instructor, they or one of their colleagues are typically happy to tag along with you or tow you around for a few laps per session. this usually makes passing and being passed a little smoother. generally. Not sure if this was something you had tried on your last excursion, but i think it's worth a try on your next event, regardless.