Everyone learns differently. I am the type of person that needs to be immersed in the material for it to sink in. I have to read every word and take notes on everything. I can't just do rote memory, I need to fully understand every detail for it to really make sense or it will just all blend together. They say when asked the time don’t build a clock, but for me I need to build a clock to get the time (I just make sure I build the clock in my head and just tell the examiner the time). What I did was take detailed notes phrasing things in my own words and organizing things into topics that made sense to me. Reading manuals and looking at flash cards can only go so far. Try writing the information down instead of just reading it. Also, try learning a subject as if you were going to teach it to someone else. Get someone to study with and just go back and forth teaching topics to each other. The point is, make sure you try learning things a variety of different ways.

It sucked, because I got told on a daily basis that I was working way to hard and I was going to end up washing out because I would burn out. I almost started to listen to everyone else and just try to passively learn, but then I realized that I have always learned this way, and why change the way I learn at such a critical moment. Only you know what will work best for you. You have had to learn a lot just to get where you are today, so do whatever you did to get your ratings.