I have been teaching quilt classes for a long time. Everyone performs at a different level. Everyone has their own way of learning. There are some students who zip along in class, and then go home and mess up the assignment when alone. Others either don't seem to get it or just observe and then go home and master the lesson. If at the end of the class you have a quilt that you are happy with, you are a success. You should compare yourself to you, not others.