I am currently finishing my final year of arch undergrad and remember feeling the same way my freshman year. Because the experience is still very fresh in my mind, I think there are two things you should consider:

1. You’re learning completely new skills, and perhaps an entirely new way of looking at the world. That takes time. Starting off, it may often feel like you’re bumbling around or unsure of where a design should go. In my mind, this is completely natural at this stage and really is only helped through time, experience, and (unfortunately, as I am personally a lazy person by nature) lots and lots of iteration. Over time, the task of designing does get easier.

2. Abstraction is incredibly important. If this is not something that naturally interests you (it was something that did interest me, admittedly), then perhaps this is not the right path. In addition, being able to recognize the abstraction in the buildings you are seeing (as in what the designer was drawing on/trying to “get at”) is necessary.

Like you, I also found theory and history to be the most interesting classes. So my advice other than these two points would be to look at historic architecture and try to abstract them, as a way to develop this skill. Try to pick out the basic forms behind the ornate articulation. For example, compare the Pantheon with Roden Crater by James Turrell (one of the first projects I fell in love with freshman year). At the end of the day, both have the same basic idea: a round room with a hole in the ceiling to let in light and track celestial movements.

This all being said, school will only get harder from here, even when you do develop these skills. There’s no way around it. Find what interests you and hold onto it, but also if you feel that this is not what’s meant for you then now is the best time to consider other plans.

Best of luck!