My ability to comprehend theory is handicapped

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There's nothing wrong with my IQ or my range of skills, but I just have a lot of trouble with theoretical concepts. I do just fine with things that require raw skill like Math, but when it comes to the endless theoretical topics in Physics, Chemistry, Engineering...etc, I just don't do very well.

I learn by playing around with things until I get the hang of them, and I get quite good at these things, but that's impossible to do when you're trying to learn things from text and pictures.

I need to figure out how to deal with this problem, or this may well be my last semester in college.

Please provide more information about the problem by giving a specific example.

It may emerge that your ‘learning style’ is unusual and is therefore not catered for in the academic environment.
If you are a kinaesthetic or auditory learner rather than a visual learner, theory will appear more challenging because most theory is presented visually (and verbally).

It is possible that you would benefit by discussing theory by interacting with others regarding its context. (This is not the same as socialising).

When I see a visual representation of something, for example, a diagram explaining how something works, my attention is scattered all over the place. I guess I process information in a linear kind of way, and if you give me a bulk of information all at once, I get overwhelmed instantly. I'm also absolutely terrible in comprehending instructions and directions.

You may have to hunt around for a field - maybe even an iunstiture - that will match your mind. I am not quite where you are, but I have had problems with theory where I am fine at analysis.

I enjoyed Chemistry, found Physics confusing, and in my field of Lingiistics never had any use for theory. Data oriented I have been called as an insult.

Shop around, talk to people. There is a lot of variety.

A good friend of mine tried on at least a dozen majors before he found one that he could live with. Took him an extra year to graduate, but he has done really well with it.