How I Learned to Study Smarter in Grad School (And Avoid Burnout)

How I Study in PT School (Without Burning Out)

Grad school is no joke. Whether you're in physical therapy school like me, or grinding through nursing, med school, or another intense program, every semester throws something new at you. I learned quickly that adapting—and having a system—is the only way to stay on top of everything without burning out.

In this post, I’m sharing the strategies I use to stay organized, manage my time, and actually retain what I study. These habits have evolved with each semester, but the structure behind them stays consistent. The best part? You can take this same framework and make it work for your own program.

Let’s dive into how I built my study routine—and how you can use it to survive (and maybe even enjoy) grad school.

 

My Basic Study System (It’s Not Fancy)

Here’s the thing—I don’t follow one single method. I just use a simple framework that changes depending on the week (or my mood, let’s be honest):

• How am I going to study?
• When am I going to study?
• How much can I actually get done today?

That’s it. Super basic, but it helps me stay focused without getting overwhelmed.

 

The First Step: Learn It, Don’t Memorize It (Yet)

I always start by going through the textbook or PowerPoints. Nothing intense—I just try to get a general idea of what the heck is going on.

Then, if something’s confusing, I’ll hop on YouTube or look for a better explanation. Honestly, even TikTok can be useful sometimes. After that, the lecture usually ties it all together for me.

If I still feel stuck, I’ll use AI (yes, like ChatGPT) to break it down further or quiz me. It’s weirdly helpful to have something throw questions at you so you can find your weak spots. But be careful that you get the right answers. (I am by no means telling you to use AI to do school for you)

 

Exam Mode = Test Yourself (Over and Over)

When exams are coming up, my approach shifts. I stop rereading everything and focus on testing myself.

Two things I swear by:

1. The Blank Page Method – Pick a topic, grab a blank sheet, and write down everything you remember. Then compare it to your notes. Whatever you forgot? That’s what you need to review.
2. Make practice questions – Especially with friends. It turns into a whole conversation, and suddenly everyone understands the material better.

And if you can explain a topic to someone else without looking at your notes? You’ve got it.

 

My Study Schedule (and How I Avoid Melting Down)

I mentioned in another post that I like having a routine—and that’s still true. But I also let it bend depending on the day.

If I’ve got morning classes, I try to stay on campus afterward and study for about 2 hours. Then I hit the gym, grab food, and maybe study a little more in the evening. Maybe.

What I don’t do: force myself to study for 2 hours straight. That’s a one-way ticket to burnout. I use timers—usually 25-30 minutes of work, then a 5-10 minute break. If I need more, I take more. I’ve learned that if my brain’s not in it, I’m wasting time pretending it is.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is walk away for half an hour, let your brain reset, then come back ready to go. But on the other hand, if you are in the zone, maybe go for 45 minutes or until you start feeling fatigued.

 

One More Thing—Study After You Move

This might sound random, but it works. I’ve found that when I study after I exercise, I’m way more focused. Turns out it’s not just in my head—your brain releases something called BDNF after physical activity, which actually helps you learn better.

So yeah, sometimes I’ll literally go for a walk just to get myself into the right mindset.

 

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a perfect system. You just need one that makes sense for you and gives you room to pivot when life (or school) throws a wrench in it.

Hopefully, this gave you some ideas to try out or helped validate what you’re already doing. And if you’ve got your own favorite study tips or want to hear more about how I use AI in school, drop a comment or shoot me a message—I’d love to hear from you.

Also, if you missed it, check out my last post about staying organized during PT school. I share some tools that helped me stay on top of everything without losing my mind.

 

How I stay organized in Physical Therapy school: 7 game changing tools

Physical Therapy school is no joke. Between lectures, labs, clinics, group projects, all of the exams, and just trying to keep some sort of social life, it can get very overwhelming quickly. I have had to find systems that work for me. The foundation just about stays the same, but what I do inside the system is what changes every semester. Below is a list of 7 things that helped me and can help you stay organized and successful. 

And if you want to learn about how to successfully study and utilize time in school, check out my next post about study habits. I will list out a few things I currently use and have previously used that worked for me. 

1. Outlook Calendar

- The way our system works, we get notifications through our Outlook email, and we can save dates and important information pretty easily. You can also add things to yourself. I prefer to use Outlook because I am checking my email every day, and it just keeps everything in one place. We use Canvas for our classes, and it has a to-do list that shows me everything I need to do for class, so I never forget. 

2. paper notebook and electronic notebook

- I mainly use something called ReMarkable. It is a note-taking tablet that is advertised to be the closest thing to writing on paper, and I love it. It connects to the internet, but it can only download/upload documents you need, and you can create your own notebooks. You can have folders and notebooks, so everything is very organized. The kicker here is... that is all it does, you cannot download apps or anything, so it is literally to take notes and be organized without distractions. I put the link below. Paper notebooks are just always good to have. I would just recommend having one. 

3. sticky notes

- These are a quick option for reminders. I place them on my desk and computer, and carry one in my pocket with a game plan for the clinic. They're so small and useful, I used them a ton on my last clinical. I wrote down a game plan for my patients, so it gave me some structure to go off of and veer off into a different direction if I need to. 

4. A good backpack

- I use the term good backpack loosely. I just like my backpack because it has a spot for everything I need. A computer slot with extra room for other things. Multiple different zippers for big and small things. It just gets the job done, and I almost never forget something because I have things in the right places, and it establishes a routine, which is the next point. I can't find my exact one, but I will put a link to one that is very similar. 

5. weekly routine

- This can mean anything, really. My routine means doing everything that is important to me early. That means exercising, doing homework, grocery store, cleaning my room, etc Now, keep in mind that PT school is heavy on adapting to change. This means some days or some semesters, this doesn't happen, and that is okay! You establish a new plan and you stick to it. I think establishing a routine is one of the most important aspects of staying organized and up to date. 

6. Meal prep containers

- These were a game changer for me. Before I bought some, I rushed around every day trying to get my lunch ready, which led me to be either late, forget something, or just be in the wrong state of mind for class. Use these and incorporate them into your routine. Here is a link to mine. I just bought them a few weeks ago. Glass is the way to go!

7. paper/book organizer

- Last thing to set you up for success. A paper binder or organizer of some sort, along with a book organizer. I'm not going to put a link in here because these are everywhere, and they all work the same. This helped me organize all my papers in case I need to look back at them. I still have my papers from my 1st year of PT school, so this really helps with referring back to classes since you will not remember everything you were taught. The book organizer just helps with clutter on my desk, and it has its own corner.