I'm getting over-whelmed!
There is so much to learn. I know I haven't been at it very long, but I looked over at the conjugations and there are a million ways to conjugate each and every verb, let alone all the different types of verbs!!!
Will I really ever be able to learn it all? Will I ever be able to learn enough to communicate understandably? Will I ever be able to understand what is said to me?
How can I ever do this with moving to a different country and being totally submersed in it? - Wait a minute- that sounds like a pretty good idea!
Until then (if ever), I guess I'll have to just keep making baby-steps toward my goal. Just keep going through the drills and practicing and drilling and practicing and learning and practicing.......
9 Answers
Just do it bit by bit, one small step at a time. It's absolutely possible, our brains are made to do this sort of thing and you'll be amazed at what you can learn.
It won't be long before the conjugations start coming out automatically without you even having to think.
I used to work with a Russian engineer, and whenever we were given a huge task he would say, "There is a Russian proverb: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."
Languages are big. Don't let it bother you. Start with the basics (present and preterite verb tenses, for example). Read simple books, newspaper articles and magazines in Spanish. Watch movies and T V. Listen to the radio. You won't understand much to start with, but little by little you'll begin to pick it up. You don't have to know all of it to use some of it.
Absolutely the best way to learn any foreign language is by being immersed in it. If you can live in a Spanish language country, and deny yourself access to English except for 6 or 8 hours a week, you'll be speaking Spanish in a couple of months.
Until you can put yourself in that kind of situation, don't deny what you have already learned. You probably have more Spanish than you realize. A huge percentage of the Spanish vocabulary has cognates in English. Don't overstress about the verbs. I agree they are difficult, but don't worry if you make a mistake. Most Spanish speakers are very tolerant. They understood what you said.
One of the hardest things with talking to a native Spanish speaker is to get her/him to give you feedback. No one wants to embarrass you, so they don't stop you and say "you should have said that this way..." The last thing they want to do is make you uncomfortable.
Relax and enjoy the experience. It's worth the effort.
Sylvia, these kind people have already given you some good advice 
Learning a language can be a very enjoyable, but challenging skill to learn.
My guidance would be summed up in these points:
1 It takes time to learn a complex skill so please be patient with yourself and be encouraged by what you have already learnt rather than worry about what you do not yet understand
2 Build up gradually so that you can understand well what you have learnt Having a clear, and accurate understanding of what you have learnt is more valuable than knowing many things badly and then having to re-learn them again at some later stage.
3 This next tip is one of the most important ones: Use what you have learnt and apply it as often as possible this will help you remember it more easily! Once you have learnt many new things and can remember them well this will free up your short term memory to learn many more new things
4 Please do not be afraid to make mistakes this is how we all learn. We probably learn more from our mistakes in any area of life than the things we get right
5 Practise speaking Spanish with the natives here on Skype I would encourage you to begin an language exchange where you can offer to help some native Spanish speaker with their English and receive free help in return These arrangements are amazingly beneficial for all concerned You are welcome to join the beginners Skype chats just give your Skype Id to Heidita or Marianne and you can join for free! These are very friendly and people soon relax and make good progress!
6 Think of learning a language, like anything, as more of a journey than a race!
7 Just ask for help if you do not understand something we are all here to help each other in this SpanishDict community 
I have been studying Spanish since about last September. I am 69 years old. I have a peculiar palatal formation which makes it difficult for me to pronounce C and Z as the Spanish do (while impossible for me NOT to pronounce D in a Spanish way). There are very few Spanish-speaking people here (but lots of Italians). I am using a beginner's text book, two other websites and some e-text-books. You will see my posts (New Old Story) from time to time. I have spent hours writing out the regular verb endings for all tenses/moods (over and over) and am writing out (by hand) every day, the irregular verbs - this is how I memorize them. I am reading some Spanish nursery stories, and working (slowly) on Gente Como Nostros. If you will spend two hours a day, six days a week, you should be much better with Spanish next year at this time, than I am now. As they say, "man up", "get down" and "do it, do it, do it". I promise you you will be delighted with the results.
We all hit the wall at some point Sylvia. It does look overwhelming, but it is possible. Be patient with yourself. Instead of focusing on what you still need to learn, focus on what you have accomplished so far.
Set smaller goals for yourself and celebrate those achievements. Before you know it, you will be amazed at your progress.
Don't stress over verbs. I knew a man that lived in Colombia for 15 years and only learned the infinitive forms and that is all he used and he got by. I know he sounded funny insted of "voy a la tienda" he would use "yo ir a la tienda". I'm not saying to do that but you can relax a little knowing that you can get by with the basics. Verbs are an important part of the language but stay with the basics. As you learn, it will come to you. I agree that total immersion works wonders. I talk with two women that only speak spanish and it has been helpful although confusing as one is from Honduras and one is from Ecuador and the regional differences can be subtle yet maddening.
I used to work with a Russian engineer, and whenever we were given a huge task he would say, "There is a Russian proverb: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."
I knew a Russian enginer in school. He had a Russian translation of an IBM manual in his office. He told me that the Soviets had an IBM360 and all of the manuals in English and after trying to translate the first manual they decided it was easier teach all engineers to read English than it was to translate IBM manuals to Russian.
I had a boss who felt the same way about translating them to English.
Hi sylvia!
You can handle a lot of communication using the present and preterit tenses in the indicative mood. Work on your vocabulary to learn the words you will most likely use in your work or travels. Finally, you can handle a lot of communication using the indicative forms of the verbs if you phrase it correctly.
These are some techniques I've focused on to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
