What are some specific steps one might take to tackle difficult-to-understand resources?

Throughout your degree program you will be expected to rely on academic resources for your assignments instead of general Internet sources. While these academic resources provide great information, they can be written at a level that makes reading, comprehension, and retention challenging.

What are some specific steps one might take to tackle difficult-to-understand resources?

What reading, comprehension, and retention strategies do you think one might use? Why?

A dictionary.

Your university likely has an academic skills center. Make use of it. Also, talk to librarians --- especially the reference librarians --- about problems using primary sources. That's why they are there.