From what I've observed there's different ways that people cope when they find themselves in the deep end. Some try to learn and understand everything they can

From what I've observed there's different ways that people cope when they find themselves in the deep end. Some try to learn and understand everything they can about their new environment (this seems to describe your experience), while others just try to find a working solution for their immediate task. In my experience, the first approach is extremely effective, even if it can sometimes result in analysis paralysis. However workplaces almost always prefer the latter so it can be hard to fill in the gaps later.