I have always been opposed to taking any kind of supplement before I have to write a paper or study for a test. I know there are many college students that depend on caffeine pills, energy drinks, or some prescription drug such as Ritalin or Adderall. I am far from being a scholarly college student, but I try to prepare my week so that I do not have all my work piled up one day, so I don’t have to use one of these methods to keep myself awake all night.Waiting until the last minute and taking a supplement to help you stay up to do work creates a bad work ethic, and that will stay with you until you can figure out a way to get work done without having to rely on supplements.
“Last year before finals I decided to drink a cup of coffee while I was studying to keep me awake,” said junior Brian Burton. “Since it gave me energy I decided to drink cup after cup until I was done studying. Before I knew it, it was 8 a.m. and I was sitting at my desk with the jitters because of all the caffeine I had consumed. Now I stay far away from any type of caffeine substance at night.”
The experience that Burton encountered is not unusual. Not only is taking these drugs bad for your health, but it also creates bad work habits and teaches you how to procrastinate. If you go through four years of college relying on pills or drinks to help you study the night before an exam or to do a paper, what is going to happen when you enter the real world and have work to do 7 to 8 hours a day, plus extra work when you are off the clock?
“The night before a final, a friend recommended I take some Adderall to study, said sophomore Andrew McClannon. “He never told me that it was like a poor man’s version of crack. I was wide awake, shaking like a bobble head doll until the next morning. I made sure to not listen to anything else that he ever had to say.”
According to The Nutritionists Networks, “The typical energy drink contains 80 mg of caffeine.” This is about the same amount of caffeine that a typical cup of instant coffee provides, and twice the amount that a cup of tea or can of Coke contains. Caffeine speeds up parts of the body and brain, as well as increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.
“If I ever had an early morning game, I would usually drink a Red Bull to wake me up and get focused on the game, said sophomore Mike Braverman. Since it worked well for me before a game, I decided to chug a couple of Red Bulls the night before I had a paper due. Just those couple of drinks had me wired for the entire night and made it real difficult to sleep.”
High doses of caffeine can cause hand tremors and changes in your heart’s rhythm. Caffeine is also a cause of dehydration, and too much caffeine can have a negative effect on your health. Some long-term affects are increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Possible short-term affects includ a loss of coordination or balance.
You have the weekend before the last week of exams. This is the time when you should start planning out when you are going to study and complete your work if you haven’t done so already. That way you won’t have to rely on any substance to keep you awake the night before your work is due, as well as risk your health and sleep.