Trouble using both verbal instructions and hands-on work

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I have an excellent memory, but I often can't translate what I've read to what I'm doing physically or vice versa. Because of that I'm often slow in classes where we may do things like run a simulation at our lab PCs, then go handle physical equipment and do real exercises. Unless I've had time to "translate" how things work on paper or on a screen to how things work with my hands I'm slow.

Which stinks, because I do well on these things individually and it's making me look a lot less capable than I feel I really could be. Anyone similar who's found a way to speed things up? Currently I just have to take extra time to go over things.

I'm also a little sleep-deprived right now, so sorry if this doesn't make much sense.

I don't know. I'm pretty slow with everything.

Albert Einstein said ?In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.?

Mental puzzles and physical puzzles are different even if the written answer is the same. The discovery process is where they are different.
Do you visualize taking apart the equipment during your simulation?
Do you scribble notes during your hands on?

Well, I'm glad Einstein's got my back here.

I never visualize working with the equipment during simulations, which might be holding me back come to think of it. Maybe I'm not the only one who's having trouble, too...

I do scribble notes during hands-on sometimes, but usually my attention is 100% occupied with what I'm doing, my lab partner, and listening for updates. Last class our instructor only remembered to tell us a quirk with the equipment halfway through the class when a few of the faster workers stumbled on it, and I tend to miss things like that if I'm not paying attention.