As a parent, one of my greatest hopes is to instill a love of learning and a competence at reading into their little skulls. Never succumb to the temptation to let someone else dictate your career. Too many professionals avoid training because their company won't pay for it. That's career suicide. Take charge of your future, yourself, because no one else will.
Frustration is a part of learning so practice patience.
Most engineering texts border on unreadable. Cull the best of the bunch, sigh when yet another book disappoints, but continue seeking out the pearls. Avoid excessive specialization. My dad relates the story of an engineer at Grumman in the early 60s who knew everything there was to know about designing wheels for lunar roving vehicles. Presumably pencil cup donations are keeping the family fed now.