Slow learners still cross the finish line, and they usually know the route better.

Speed gets confused with ability constantly, when what it mostly measures is how familiar the material already was. Taking longer means going through more of the terrain, so more of it stays with you. Someone who understood it instantly often has a thinner version. Arriving later is not a worse arrival.

If something is taking you longer than it seems to take everyone else, keep to your own pace rather than skipping ahead to match. Measure what you actually understand instead of how fast you got there. Six months on nobody can tell the difference, and often you are the one who can still explain it.