The Observer, December 8, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 13
Sodas, drugged candies provide caffeine jolt for finals
"When your day ends, ours begins." It's the motto of detective units and night-shifters everywhere. For many college students approaching finals, a modified version often applies: "When your day ends, ours just keeps going."
Unfortunately, the human body was not built with an Energizer battery on board, and college students, like night-shifters, often need help to keep on truckin' through the wee hours. But which method should you turn to in order to keep that late night oil burning?
Here at The Observer, we know that students' schedules don't allow time for product testing in an area as important as sleep reduction systems, so we've done the legwork for you. In this article you will find reviews of some products only seen late at night in Kelvin Smith Library, such as energy drinks, caffeinated candy, and caffeine pills, that may help you pull that all-nighter, study until 3:30 a.m., or get all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for those 8 a.m. finals we all know and love.
Because all of the following products have caffeine as their primary ingredient, two things must be addressed: the first is that caffeine is a drug, and can have some ugly side effects, up to and including death. If you have any history of heart problems, especially arrhythmia problems, check with your doctor to make sure you won't keel over after shotgunning a Red Bull. The second is that the effects of caffeine, like those of any drug, require a certain dose to be reached (yes, caffeine is a drug, used regularly in hospitals, and is available in IV form; no, you can't have any). That dose varies from person to person, but most references say that 100 mg is a good place to start. That's about the same as a 20 oz. Mountain Dew. If you need more, take it slow. As any nursing major will tell you, there are no take-backs with drugs.
Caffeinated Mints – These "alternative energy products" purport to be a more effective alternative than pop or energy drinks, thanks to the mints' ability to be absorbed in the mouth. While there is scientific basis for this (diabetics can suck on sugar paste in an emergency for an instant sugar fix, for example), neither myself nor any of the three other people who tried these found them to be any faster-acting than the more traditional caffeine delivery systems. In addition, the mints were "like sucking on a porcupine," according to one tester, and the lack of sugar in the mints results in an extremely bitter aftertaste. Verdict: Avoid these; there are better ways to keep yourself up that don't involve stabbing your tongue repeatedly.
Energy Drinks – Concentrated caffeine, with added stuff to make you think it works better. A can of Wired X294, for example, has 294 mg of caffeine, more than even Starbucks coffee, but most fall in the 100 mg range. Just don't drink these with alcohol or right before strenuous exercise; several people dropped dead after doing just that. Verdict: Effective, but more expensive than many other alternatives, and not as easy to find in the campus vending machines.
Caffeine Pills – The good old No-Doz, or any of a dozen other brands are an old school method for staying awake: just ask any trucker. Maximum Strength No-Doz pack a whopping 200 mg of caffeine into one little pill, providing a large jolt. No-Doz Plus includes 10 mg of nicotinic acid, the same ingredient in tobacco that gets you buzzed, for a little extra kick in the pants. Just be careful with those; caffeine and nicotine are both addictive drugs, and I can assure you that withdrawal from either is not fun. Verdict: Quick, portable, and effective, and at less than $5 a bottle, definitely one of the most cost-effective ways to stay awake this finals season.
While the products reviewed above have been proven to help you stay awake, nothing will help you ace your finals like getting enough sleep, eating well, and studying when you're able to concentrate effectively.
