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.
- 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.
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