Planning ahead and having good organizational skills is extremely important for graduate school and enrolling in a doctoral program. Students have to be able to plan ahead and be efficient with time management to manage reading, writing, and research assignments. Buy a wall calendar or daily planner to help stay organized and use them to their potential. Be sure to stay rigorous with scheduling, but also remain flexible; remember, even some of the best laid plans can sometimes go awry. Keep a level head during the process so you don't get stressed out. Treat graduate school and your doctoral studies as a 9 to 5 job that you will have to work occasional overtime at. And don't spread yourself too thin by having too many conflicting obligations or responsibilities.
Set goals and be self motivated through the process. Setting and accomplishing goals is a rewarding and efficient way to get work done in graduate school and doctoral studies. Keep your goals reasonable; don't set a goal to read a 2,500 page book in a weekend. Know the reason why you are in graduate school or doctoral studies and constantly remind yourself that it's worth it. Maintaining a positive attitude through the process is one of the most important factors when it comes to succeeding in graduate school, so try to stay as motivated as possible.
Establish a relationship with professors, the department of the school you're studying at, and fellow students. The department staff of your area of study can be the greatest asset in graduate school and doctoral studies. Don't be afraid to bounce ideas off professors or to ask questions; they are there to help you succeed in your field of studies. Establishing a good working relationship with your fellow students is also imperative, as you want them to be around to help critique or analyze any work you may do. It's also good to establish a study group with your fellow students, that way you won't have to feel isolated during your learning.