I had not considered negative learning, good point. I guess the driving factor in my class prep quest is to not repeat my last experience. I interviewed for my last job, was in class less than a week later with no time to prep. I had a constant feeling of being behind the learning curve for the entire time. It ended well, I scored high on systems and passed the sim ride, but I did not enjoy that feeling of uncertainty that led up to success.
I think what would have helped me last time is something a bit more than a 2 page list of numbers to memorize before class. My new company, Republic, did send me a fair amount of things to read about in their study guide, but with out a Operating Manual to go in-depth, its really just a bunch of rote memorization.