Complete a speed-reading course in order to help you get through the vast amount of material that you will be expected to know. You may initially lose some of your reading comprehension from reading faster, but those who have taken speed-reading courses tend to eventually notice an increase in comprehension in the long run. Different speed-reading courses, like the PhotoReading system from Learning Strategies Corp., can teach you to read faster and more efficiently. Once your mind adapts to the faster speeds, your comprehension and retention will catch up.
Create a schedule and stick with it. During your first two or three years of graduate degree work, much of your time is spent reading, getting acquainted with the other major scholarship in your field of academic study. Some programs have an established reading list that students are expected to familiarize themselves with before taking their comprehensive exams. Determine how many books are on your required reading list and divide up the calendar year into chunks of time in which you will read a predetermined number of books, articles, or other necessary material that you must know for your exams. Stick with your schedule; this will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Maintain a school and life balance. If you spend 18 hours per day with your nose buried in a book and do not exercise, socialize or eat well, you may run the risk of burning yourself out before you can finish your degree. Designate a block of time each day or multiple times each week in which you set aside your studies and do something fun and healthy. Exercise and recreational activities are good for your mind, too.
Complete as much of your dissertation research as you can starting on day one and each day thereafter. You may not know exactly what your dissertation topic will be, but you can begin gathering resources and getting an idea of where you are heading. Once you near the end of your coursework and begin to study for your comprehensive exams, you may find yourself running out of gas. Having your research done early means that you can concentrate on writing during your remaining year or two of school and finish quickly.