Originally Posted by
ja349
I think Seabreeze's post is way off here.
As for 'last-year high school or university background', I think that is a stigma of the wider aviation industry. You DO NOT need a higher education background in maths, physics or technology. You DO however need a high degree of motivation, and the ability to apply yourself.
Live by the latter, and you'll go far...
I would agree with this comment.
Although there is no denying that a basic/moderate understanding of maths/physics is very useful, it is not a requirement, it just makes the learning easier. Especially at PPL level.
for ATPLs the more you know the easier the trickier subjects, but as long as you ask lots of questions you'll be fine. The difficulty with both the PPL and ATPL syllabus is not the content, but the quantity.
Regarding a 5 day crash course, I would guess that you will indeed be learning answers to questions and not the required content. I've seen all too many students using online questions banks, apps and one day courses who are all able to get 95%+ exam results in subjects they clearly don't understand.
My PPL took me almost 3 years to finish while working full time (I planned for 10 months), for all the reasons you mentioned (countless cancelled lessons due to bad weather, issues with the aircraft and /or a lack of available lesson slots/). Halfway through I lost my job and was unemployed for 4 months, and my instructor quit when I got back. It's part of the industry I'm afraid, your CPL MEIR will have exactly the same issues. My PPL exams took over 12 months. Don't try to rush things and get everything done by tomorrow. Be patient, give yourself time to understand the theory and enjoy the journey.