[AnotherMarc]

Couple things. You identified one thing to work on, which is not to panic.

The other thing is that if that's all the feedback you got, it's pretty subjective. If you have a good relationship with an engineer or architect you admire, you might run some of your questions by them, along with the steps you took to figure them out on your own. I would ask them whether they thought the questions were reasonable ones, and whether the steps you took to resolve them made sense.

If they say yes and yes, then take heart and keep at it. If they say no, you can ask them their advice for speeding up your understanding or better ways to search for answers. Once you open up your thought process to them, they will be able to better help you, if they care to.

To that point, whatever you do, avoid getting defensive or arguing back. Only further questions you should ask are ones where you need more clarification. It may be tough, especially if you don't agree, so be ready for that. Good luck!