Have you done a Class 1 medical? No point in starting all of this without getting that out of the way. If you don't want to go to the expense of the medical, find the EASA Med requirements and have a chat to your doctor and optician.
Best thing to do? Plan your time wisely and allow some "down time/relaxation". Flash cards are very useful for recalling lots of useless data. Believe me, most of the ATPL theory is useless data you'll never use. There are electronic ones around (eg Quizlet) but you are better off building your own sets as it will reinforce learning.