She’s back!  Our guest blogger, Jasmine Marcus, returns with some valuable insights on managing your most precious resource in physical therapy school … your time.

In college, one of my friends had a saying whenever we were busy: “You’ll spend as much time doing your homework as you give yourself.” Despite pursuing a difficult biology major, she made time for extracurricular activities and friends, and graduated with near perfect grades … a semester early.

I eventually discovered her saying also applied to me. During the semesters I spent 25 hours a week editing The Cornell Daily Sun, I did my homework efficiently, and got some of my best grades. Yet, as a second semester senior with fewer commitments, I often procrastinated and never seemed to find those 25 extra hours.

Although this lesson should have been ingrained in me, I was often scared to make myself busy during my first semester of PT school. I occasionally skipped the gym, missed seeing some friends, and generally allowed myself little time off from studying.

I heard how much my classmates (said they) studied and felt like I had to do the same. By the end of the semester, I was exhausted and ready for a change.

So this semester, I’ve rescheduled in the fun. I go to the gym more frequently, have taken up aerial yoga, say yes to hanging out with friends more often, and make it to most of the basketball games my boyfriend coaches.

And since I’ve been busier, I’ve found myself getting more studying done. Instead of waking up on a Sunday knowing I have 12 uninterrupted studying hours ahead of me (and wasting some of them), I now know I have to get started studying quickly so that I can get a decent amount done before I have to go do something fun.

And recent research backs this theory up, demonstrating that people who take frequent breaks are more productive than those who try to push through continuously.

So now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to the gym … in order to study later!

Jasmine Marcus is currently a first year DPT student at Columbia University. You can follow her on twitter @JasDPT15 and read her PT blog: http://pt2b15.tumblr.com/