I'll speak from my own experience. I definitely have a lot of time each day. Yes. Even as a medical student. Say I sleep for 6 hours (that's probably not enough for a lot of people, but I believe I can adequately get through the day with 6 hrs). I have about 6 hours of class + 1 hour of lunch each day. 1 hour for dinner. That leaves about 10 free hours left for each day. If I studied 10 hours each day, reviewing the day's material and perhaps pre-reading for the next day, I would most likely feel very ready before the next exam (or I would hope so!). However, this is definitely not that case. When it's weeks before an exam, I don't study even close to 10 hours each day, and once it's days before the exam, I sometimes feel like I'm running out of time!
Why is that?? Did I somehow mismanage my time? I honestly don't think I have a lack of it, so that's not the problem. Of course, my free hours aren't all dedicated to studying. Time is set aside for short naps, devotionals, and of course, working on this blog (and just dinking around on the web).
I think for one thing, it's hard for me to get motivated to study very diligently weeks in advance of an exam like I would a few days before exam day because there is very little immediate gratification to anticipate or experience. It's easy to get immediate gratification from looking for and watching entertaining YouTube videos, or playing a few games of StarCraft.
It's really important to think about what it is most wise to invest your time in that will be most profitable in the long run. For example, watching entertaining YouTube videos when I could be studying instead isn't going to profit me in any way a few weeks later and probably not even moments after watching it. Playing StarCraft by myself probably isn't too profitable either! This is not to say that StarCraft is a waste of time, per se. I spent some time playing StarCraft 2 with my younger cousins yesterday because it's one of the few ways by which I can stay in contact with him, hopefully allowing me to continue to have things in common with them to talk to them about, opening up opportunities for other more meaningful conversations!
At the very bottom of it, it comes down to whether or not we appreciate the time that we have, and more generally, the resources that God has given us. Are we maximizing the returns from the time that we have each day.
"Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth." - Colossians 3:2
"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable." - 1 Corinthians 9:24-25Live, work, and invest in what is imperishable and not of this earth. Don't be satisfied with the immediate gratifications of this world. Make use of each day to pursue spiritual maturity, make efforts to encourage your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ whenever possible, and proclaim the gospel through each and every aspect for your life! Don't become well acquainted with this world and feel as if the end of the race is too far off to take seriously.
You may ask, "How does this apply to studying? Isn't that a very earthly thing?" Well, I hope that whatever career you are pursuing you believe is a means by which you can do work for God's Kingdom.
And yes, naps and breaks are profitable, if indeed the naps are for needed rest and the breaks are breaks from intervals of actual work.
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