PUDOC - don't agree with you on that, 6 months is hard for the ATPL's, but if done full time it is not as hard as you believe from the start!
However it is extremely time consuming!
One thing I have also discovered after finishing ATPL's, CPL / IR - is that if you think you know it all after that, I can promise you, that is the wrong attitude, because you/me we know nothing after that! Nothing to do with the real knowledge required to be an airline pilot!
Tip when you finish ATPL/ CPL / IR, start reading and understanding stuff like hell, because the level required to pass your CPL/IR compared to an airline assessment, are worlds apart!
Make sure you get yourself a proper good MCC course, as this will give you a taste of what you really need to know.