If it is science what you are looking for, on one side you need extreme discipline to force yourself on hard, alien subjects that you will mostly not understand

If it is science what you are looking for, on one side you need extreme discipline to force yourself on hard, alien subjects that you will mostly not understand at a glance. On the other side, you much probably need a mentor to discuss things in a sequential or progressive manner, assimilate the underlying theory with its nuances for real and test yourself against a rock solid reference. I acted as an informal tutor for a number of fellow students at uni and both circumstances were needed to get them results (and pass their exams).