After my intro flight with ATP I am planning on spending December in my hometown after I graduate IAHA, and hopefully begin at ATP around January of next year. After my intro flight I felt a bit intimidated watching my CFI (I think that’s what his position was) go thru the pre-flight, and talk on the radio. Looking at all of the numbers and codes and thinking how I would remember everything! It has been giving me a little bit of doubt in my head if I’m “smart enough” to go to pilot school. Did anyone else have some sort of nerves or doubt when choosing if pilot school was right for you? I can 100% say that I want to go to ATP and I’m not interested to attend any other school. I guess I’m just a bit hesitant because I consider myself a pretty average student. Sometimes I am quick to pick things up and memorize but other times it takes me a little longer. My CFI told me as long as I study and focus all my attention in training I will do good. And that’s what I’m planning on doing. Any studying tips? Or anything that helped you all succeed during training?? I’d LOVE to know!! 
Geneva,
I’m sure some of the other will chime in with study tips etc. For my part I really don’t have any. What I can tell you is I was not only a CFI (Yes that’s who they were, it means Certified Flight Instructor) for ATP, but also was an instructor at both my airlines. Flying is not rocket science and I believe most anyone with average intelligence and coordination can be a pilot. Where most people struggle and ultimately fail is in their work ethic.
I don’t know you or what you’ve experienced but what I can pretty much guarantee you is that flying will be the hardest most challenging experience of your life. I don’t mean to disparage or make light of your IAHA training but it will pale by comparison to flight training. Watching the CFI should be somewhat intimidating to you. They’re a pilot, you are not. They completed months of highly accelerated training that usually takes years and it encompasses a wealth of skills and knowledge. They however were not successful because they were geniuses. They were successful because they had the desire and put in the work. The question should not be “am I smart enough?” but am I willing to work harder than I ever have to accomplish this goal? How will you remember “everything”? By studying, studying, studying and then studying some more. Whether or not you have the desire, drive and work ethic is entirely up to you. What I can tell you is if you do it’s most definitely worth it. I have the greatest job on the planet but it was certainly not easy getting here
Adam
Adam,
thank you for responding! I definitely have the desire and motivation. And this website helps me more than you know! I appreciate the feedback and will for sure do whatever it takes to prepare for training. Thanks again!
Geneva,
It is very normal to feel intimidated on the first several flights. Flying is a series of highly complex tasks, there is a lot going on in the cockpit of an airplane. I certainly remember feeling very nervous at various points in my training and even doubting whether being a pilot was simply too much for me. I am certainly not the smartest person out there, I had to work really hard to study and do well in the program. If you are willing to work hard, you will most likely succeed. I did take a look at the IAHA page and I can tell you that flight training will be significantly more difficult than that. But again, plenty of people do it and I would hazard to say that most of us are “average” students.
Chris
Chris, thank you for the feedback, I really appreciate it! Makes me feel better knowing others feel this too sometimes.
Yes many others like Chris did or do. Not me of course… 
Adam
Hi, I also took my intro flight at atp 3 months ago. Recently got my pilots license.
I had the same thoughts as you “How will I remember that?” “this looks so complicated” “so many buttons” “I can’t possibly know all this in 3 months will I?” “what’s even being said on the radio?” etc.
Turns out, when you fly multiple hours a day for many consecutive days, you start to pick things up quickly, especially if you learn in a class C busy airspace like I have.
I knew absolutely nothing about flying 3 months ago.
Its a matter of chair flying maneuvers (slow flight, power on/off stalls, steep turns, landings, radio calls (what to say and when to say it) “xxx tower, archer xxx on a left downwind” “xxx tower, archer xxx 10 miles south east of the airport, inbound runway 23, request full stop landing” etc) and studying in general.
Good luck.
Thank you so much! I feel more at ease now!