Your guide to staying awake during finals
Who needs zzz’s when you have caffeine?
OK, so you’re probably one of the hundreds of us here who will not be sleeping until finals are over.
We get it – you’ve been getting by all semester, and now you’ve got two weeks to become an expert in Organic Chemistry. It doesn’t matter what you’re studying. Plowing through fifteen weeks of material in any subject is, well, exhausting.
Thankfully, we have some ways for you to get that energy boost you will need during your study session. So lift your head off of that hardwood table (if you were lucky enough to even find an open table at Alexander Library) and try some of these energy boosters.
If you’re a coffee drinker, then it’s fairly obvious where you’ll be getting your energy boost during your study session. The average cup of coffee has about 70 milligrams of caffeine – enough to keep you feeling alert for a few extra hours.
There are numerous places around campus to grab a quick cup of coffee if you’ve got a couple dollars to spare. Except that Dunkin’ Donuts on Livi that closes way too early.
If you’re a fan of energy drinks, you’ll probably be guzzling the 80 milligrams of caffeine per can of Red Bull times the amount of cans you will drink. Prefer Rockstar or Monster to Red Bull? They’ve got the same amount per serving.
Prefer a quick hit? Let’s not forget about our friend, Five Hour Energy. These shots contain the same 80 milligrams of caffeine, and they claim to give you that energy boost in a 1.93 ounce shot.
For a college kid, coffee and Red Bull are perfectly acceptable ways to stay awake during finals week, but there are tricks to getting the energy boost that doesn’t come with a crash four hours later.
If you’re an avid gum-chewer, you’re in luck. Try switching to mint gum this week. Some research says mint actually helps make you more alert for a short amount of time. And if that’s true, you might want to stock up on those candy canes you see all around this time of year.
There are ways for you to rejuvenate yourself if you’ve got five minutes. Try rubbing your temples for thirty of forty seconds at a time in five-minute increments. It is quite possible your headache is the cause of your fatigue.
Deep breaths, quick power naps (preferably about twenty-six minutes long) and hydration are also essential for the duration of your study periods. Taking a quick break to do some deep breaths could save you loads of unnecessary stress.
Hey, we know you don’t have eight hours to catch those zzz’s you really need, but let’s be honest. We all know the best way to get that energy boost comes from a healthy lifestyle right off the bat.
Stay full on whole grain, fiber-rich, brain-friendly snacks like granola bars or fruit and drink lots of water before you throw back that 5-Hour Energy shot. You’re likely to feel a whole lot better.
In the meantime, take a deep breath and do what you gotta do to ace those tests.