Is it good to take breaks from coursework?

A break is a good idea, but not necessarily scheduled. Perhaps take a break at a natural point in your studies, like the end of a section or end of a chapter.

I agree with @zenvelo. Breaks are helpful to keep you refreshed, but it’s better to take them at a natural stopping point so that you don’t lose your train of thought.

Yes it certainly can be. It gives your brain a bit of a rest. Allows you to ruminate over what you have been reading. Think about how that material connects to other ideas. Your brain continues to work even if you have physically stopped.

I hate to take breaks for the same reason—it’s like I’m slow to start/focus, slow to stop/unfocus—so when I take a break, I know I’ll have to build up into my focus again. It’s part of my “ADHD”—the wonderful superpower that non-ADHD people have called hyperfocusing. I can hyperfocus for hours at end and lose track of time.

If I’m mid-hyperfocus, then have to stop, it’s not easy—so what I do is I leave my notes and work exactly how I want them to be when I come back. I make sure I can look at my work and notes and know exactly where I left off- I even leave my pen in a place that’s easy to pick up. That reduces the paper-shuffling, information reload time. If I clean up my area, it takes probably 3 times longer to get back into the flow of things.