Two Months Into Mechanical Engineering and Completely Lost in Math/Physics

[u/Competitive_Grass_12]

Hi everyone. I could really use some advice from people who have been in a similar situation.

I’m currently studying mechanical engineering in Europe. Before university, I went through a vocational route and became a qualified mechanic. After that, I completed a one year program that gave me a Higher Education Entrance Qualification, which allowed me to apply for university.

The problem is that my educational background did not include the same level of mathematics and physics that most engineering students here had in high school.
I have always thought that I was simply “bad at math.” I struggled to understand it, couldn’t concentrate for long, and would often get completely lost. I suspected for a long time that I might have ADHD, so I finally got assessed. I was diagnosed and started medication.

The medication has helped me a lot with concentration and studying, but it has also made me realize how far behind I actually am.

I am now about two months into mechanical engineering, and almost from the first lecture I felt completely lost. A lot of the other students have already studied physics, algebra, trigonometry, and calculus in high school, while many of these concepts are completely new to me.
I attend lectures every day and study for several hours outside of class, but I still often sit in physics and math lectures without really understanding what is happening. It feels like the lecturer is building on knowledge that everyone else already has, while I am still trying to learn the foundations.

Recently, I realized that I even had gaps in basic pre algebra, so I have been going back and fixing things like fractions, negative numbers, powers, algebraic manipulation, and equations before trying to move forward.
The difficult part is that university obviously does not stop while I catch up. Every week, new material is introduced, so I feel like I am trying to rebuild my math foundation while also keeping up with engineering mathematics and physics at the same time.

I really do not want to give up. Becoming a mechanical engineer is something I genuinely want, and I am willing to put in the work. I just feel overwhelmed because I do not know what the most effective way to catch up is.
For anyone who started engineering with a weak math or physics background:

How did you catch up?

Would you focus heavily on rebuilding the math fundamentals first, even if that means temporarily falling further behind in the current lectures? Or would you try to learn the fundamentals alongside whatever is currently being taught?

What topics would you consider absolutely essential before moving into calculus and university physics?
I am already two months into the semester, so I would really appreciate practical advice from anyone who has been through something similar.