I am currently a grad student and found out I have PTSD because I had such a hard time studying and retaining or retrieving the information I needed after reading a book for class at least once if not more and even taking copious notes. Originally I thought it was ADhD without the hyperactivity, but the meds didn't work. I am in my 3rd quarter now and it hasn't gotten any easier though I have grown more familiar with the program I am in, what I need to do and what is expected of me. For me this has been the most difficult thing. Others may find the success stories spread around but for me I feel like I am treading water at all times regarding school, studying and retention or retrieval of information. I am told this is because I am so busy paying attention to everything else (hypervigilince) that I am not really attentive to the studies.

My advice? Keep a calendar, stick to it. Reward yourself with what you love to do (play video games, read a favorite novel, hike, whatever) but only AFTER you have done X amount of studying. I don't know what your study load is like, but mine is mostly reading tons of stuff and writing papers about it as well as engaging in very intense classroom discussions about it (with prepared page notes about it, etc). Because I have to integrate what I read into writing and then utilize that knowledge in 'seminar' format with deep discussions and analysis with fellow students and teachers, the pressure feels very heavy. And, I simply can't read that fast AND hope to retain it all, or most of it, or a lot of it. So far I rely on what other students are saying about the material to kind of understand what it is about because by that time, I am lucky to have just got through the reading and the paper.