I’ve got a few things to say: First of all, WhyNotMe: You feel like they’re trying to brainwash you. The nature of the human being, when it believes strongly in something, is to instill that belief in others. I would guess (and this is just a guess) that if you were in a different Yeshiva whose rebbeim believed strongly in it, you would be experiencing a similar phenomenon.
In terms of “learning how to learn,” I obviously have not made the full “around the block” circuit, but it seems to me that this is something that is stressed in Chofetz Chaim and is not stressed in other Yeshivas. I’m not sure about this, but I think that Chofetz Chaim is the only (or one of the only) places to put it on a pedestal. If you don’t think it’s important, that’s your decision. But I don’t think that all the talk is just meaningless rhetoric.
In reference to Rabbi Zakai, I believe the adjective that I have heard most commonly describing him is “great.” I’m honestly not entirely sure about what that means (he seems like a very nice guy and a fine rebbi) but, seriously, that’s what everyone says. (And I’m referring to individuals who had him – not just what one person said and everyone else quotes.)
Also, as a teenager who “wants to learn and learn and learn,” you should just be aware that 1. most people can’t afford that; and 2. there are people who feel that way at some point but then change their minds.
Best of luck.