I’ve seen a lot of guides for surviving PT school, so here’s mine for getting through the first semester:
1. Surround yourself with a good support system. After spending all day with my peers, it was great to come home and be able to vent to my incredibly patient boyfriend. He also gave me lots of encouragement and occasionally let me practice palpating muscles and taking goniometer measurements on him. It was also important for me to be able to discuss my experiences with my parents and a couple close friends from college in order to gain some outside perspective.
2. Continue doing something you love. For me that meant going to the gym. Nothing made me feel better after a stressful day than pounding out a good workout on the elliptical and getting stronger by lifting weights … and then I’d be grateful for my PT education as I increasingly came to understand exactly which muscles I was using.
3. Use your professors. Two weeks into anatomy lab, I felt like I was so busy cutting that I wasn’t retaining much of what I was supposed to be learning. I met with my teacher and got some great advice. Soon I went from dreading lab to looking forward to it. I met with other professors as needed and usually walked away with helpful information.
4. Make good friends. I love my classmates as a whole, and I’ve also been lucky to make a few close friends in my class. It’s helpful to study with them of course, but it’s almost more helpful to be able to talk about what we’re going through together, or just to unwind after a stressful week by having a Halloween party or going out to dinner.
5. Remember why you’re doing it. On days when I was sick of studying and didn’t feel like memorizing whether a particular bone glided or rolled, I tried to think a few years into the future. I can’t wait for the day when instead of burying my head in the books, I’ll actually be able to practice what I’m learning. And I can’t think of anything more fulfilling than helping people improve their function!