With finals fast approaching, students begin to buckle down and dedicate more time to studying the course materials in preparation for that last test. With all the information to cover and usually more than one final to take, where is all this extra brainpower going to come from?
Through speaking with students on multiple campuses there was one common factor in study tips, caffeine, but is this really a healthy and effective choice?
Walking around CSU East Bay, there are over four vending machines dispensing Rockstar energy drinks and sodas, plus an additional three places to get coffee.
“Starbucks was always my first stop on the way to class in high school so it will be my first stop on campus before I go to class here at East Bay,” says incoming freshman Taylor Invachich, who was very excited to see the newly added Starbucks on campus. Coffee in the morning helps her stay alert throughout the day and always helps for a long night of studying.
Caffeine in any form seems to keep students going, even though mass amounts of coffee isn’t good for us and many people would refer to the ever so popular energy drinks as ‘poison’. “Not only does all that caffeine ruin your teeth, but you are putting mass amounts of chemicals into your body with energy drinks and sooner or later you will crash,” Dr. Dukes explained. So what can we do as other alternatives?
She continued to stress the importance of sleep and exercise since both relieve the body of stress and unwanted toxins and says that you don’t have to completely eliminate caffeine from your diet, just to cut back.
“I would not have made it through my college years without mass amounts of coffee and energy drinks,” states Victor Algazzali, recent graduate of UC Davis. “I would go to school, go to soccer practice, work, and then study, I didn’t have the energy to study so caffeine worked for me.” Clearly, most students have other activities going on during their college years so the time dedicated to studying has to be effective and many find caffeine to be helpful.
Dr. Dukes is right, energy drinks aren’t the best option for students and it is hard to find people that haven’t resorted to some sort of caffeine to help them wake up. “I do not touch those energy drinks and never will. To me they honestly smell like pee and if I can’t pronounce what’s in them, I sure don’t want that stuff in my body,” said Satjeet Singh, a CSUEB student. He said that making conscious decisions throughout your daily schedule is the healthiest way to achieve great test scores. “If I go out the night before a test, I made that decision, and no energy drink will make me feel better and more knowledgeable.”
Regardless of whether or not we ever touch caffeine again in our college life, caffeine can’t always be the answer.
Setting time aside to study with friends, teammates, or individually in a quiet setting will help all students be prepared for finals.
Cramming for exams with caffeine in hand isn’t the best option. Making sure to maintain a healthy lifestyle full of exercise, healthy eating habits, and lots of sleep, will help everyone reap the benefits in terms of education.
“I never said don’t have fun. I remember what college was like! Don’t deprive yourself of going out with friends and staying out late, just prioritize your time, and study in the morning party at night. Its all about choices,” says Dr. Dukes.
Staying stress free and enjoying college is important to being happy and healthy.
