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Pick up a copy of "How to Read Literature Like A Professor" by Thomas C. Foster at your library. My AP Lit instructor had me read it almost a decade ago (after similar complaints) and it helped me enjoy required undergrad literature classes much more - gives a practical, fair insight into literary analysis.

The best sendup of Lit teachers reading too much symbolism was in the movie "Back to School" and the Kurt Vonnegut scenes.

Diane: Whoever did write this doesn't know the first thing about Kurt Vonnegut!

[cut to Thornton's dorm suite]

Thornton Melon: [on the phone] ... and another thing, Vonnegut! I'm gonna stop payment on the cheque!

I agree. Sometimes one can establish a degree to which his/her interpretation is correct by considering evidence (from the author's text) for and against his/her interpretation, but rarely are lit teachers (at least in my experience) this objective.