Caffeine is probably the most prevalent drug on college campuses today. That cup of coffee for your early morning jolt, the Mountain Dew at lunch to get you through your afternoon class and the energy drinks during your late night study session mean you are putting large amounts of caffeine in your body that may be more harmful than you think.

For many college students, the risk is minimal. According to mayoclinic.com, “200 to 300 milligrams, or about two to three cups of brewed coffee a day, aren’t harmful.”
Surpassing this amount (500 to 600 milligrams), however, may cause some damage. More than the moderate amount can cause “restlessness, anxiety, irritability, muscle tremors, sleeplessness, headaches, nausea, diarrhea...abnormal heart rhythms,” the Web site said.

Abusing caffeine for late night cram sessions is common on all college campuses. While caffeine may be a best friend for someone with an early exam the next morning, the benefits are not what they seem.

Sophomore mathematics major Jessica Smith recalls turning to energy drinks during last semester’s finals. “I drank one while I was studying, and it was already so late that I just stayed up until my class,” Smith said. “I felt horrible, and even though I stayed up to study the material, I didn’t do that well on my exam because I was exhausted.”

Anyone who uses caffeine to cram late at night can probably relate. The crash following caffeine consumption often makes the person feel worse than they did before. This is not beneficial when the time comes to utilize the information that was studied.

For many, it is a matter of too much to do with too little time. Sophomore psychology major Mike Junius said thatduring a rough week, he turns to energy drinks to pull late nights to get his school work done.

“It’s not something I do out of habit, but sometimes you just don’t have the time to get everything done you’re supposed to,” Junius said.

Depending on caffeine to get through the day puts students at risk for something else: caffeine addiction. So, instead of using the caffeine to simply assist you during a long day, one can become addicted to the energy it provides to the consumer.

Caffeine on college campuses is something that won’t go away anytime soon. Students do, however, need to be more aware when deciding what they put into their bodies. There are times that may warrant an all-nighter, but making these study methods a habit will produce more negative effects than positive.

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