It is very important to maintain a physically intimate and healthy sex life. If the physicality of your union drifts apart, other things can drift apart. This is true for both masculine and feminine, although how those drifts may look will vary. If you are, as is typical, but not universally true of men, in the masculine role, and she in the feminine role, then here are some thoughts. If you think your polarity is opposite, there are some different approaches.
1. Create simmer. You can keep the eros energy flowing without necessarily having sex. Touch, hold, caress. Show your physicality more often. Not in a "I want sex now, honey," way, but in a "You are hot and I am proud to be with you" way. In this way she stays physically connected to your physical attraction, and if necessity dictates less frequent sex over the next months, this will help sustain that connection and make those times of intimacy stronger and more powerful. If arousal is on a 0-10 scale, you want to keep yourself and her somewhere in the 1-3 range, even when actual sex isn't going to happen. Among other things, when sex does happen, it means you are not starting from 0!
2. Know your love languages. Google "love languages" if you don't know what I am talking about. It's a simple concept, explained in lots of places. Ensure that you nourish her with her love language as much as possible while she is finishing her degree. This is going to make the return to full attention and connection more powerful. It's going to ensure that if physicality must drift a little, nothing else will.
3. Support her in structuring time for her work. "She has a poor record of returning to schoolwork after our sessions." Help her out! Make that happen. Also, try different times of day for lovemaking. Early morning is good: she's going to have to get up anyway. Wake her up a little earlier than usual. If you do this right, I promise you she will not be objecting. Then, she may be a little late and have to compress her morning routine. But she's not missing out on actual school work. You, holding the masculine role, need to watch the clock and ensure that she's not missing deadlines.
4. Don't focus on climax. Have some shorter sessions where neither of you climax. A fifteen minute quickie where you both get your arousal up and really want to go for more... and then don't! "Ooops, sorry honey, the bus will be by in ten minutes!" Sure she will be frustrated. But she will be smiling all day. And so will you!
5. Honor the sabbath. Ok, I see you are "agnostic" -- but this is one principle of the sabbath I bet you can get behind. A day off everything. A full day to luxuriate in each other, once a week. Yes, traditionally lovemaking is a strongly encouraged part of the sabbath. Maybe this is your only real time for sexual connection over the remaining months of her program; if you really carve out that space, it will be enough.
6. Don't burden her with your need. I can already tell you are trying not to do that; so good! Don't let that change. Be strong!
7. Let her feel your desire. The tips above will really help with that, but this is one of the principles behind it all. As long as she knows that you are simmering with desire for her, she will also keep simmering for you. In staying strong and keeping constructive boundaries for her work, don't let her make the mistake of thinking that you might be losing interest. (And don't let yourself lose interest!)
8. Whenever she initiates, let her! This is your opportunity to let go of being the timekeeper. She is a responsible adult, let her make her choice. Even if it turns out to be a mistake, practically speaking, and she then goes short on sleep. Your connection is more important than a good night's sleep, at least every once in a while. If she is initiating, it is probably because she needs the nourishment of your touch, your love, and the pleasure you share together. She will get more accomplished if her energies are fully focussed, and the distraction of sexual tension or the worry about intimate connection are unhelpful distractions!
Hope this helps!
