Is Coffee the Secret to Studying Success?

[Monique]

Ok, I am in conflict. Does a bit of coffee actually help studying by increasing alertness or does it just decrease concentration??

I think I'll just use coffee to stay awake this evening and read all night long or something

 

[zoobyshoe]

The fact is, coffee has wildly varying effects on different people. One cup can cause some people to climb the walls in frenzy, while others have a more mellow, mildly energized reaction.

 

[iansmith]

Coca-Cola is a better alternative for me when it come for mental efforts. Coca-cola has sugar, the energy source for the brain, and twice as much caffein. Coffee has no effect on me.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Originally posted by Monique
Ok, I am in conflict. Does a bit of coffee actually help studying by increasing alertness or does it just decrease concentration??

For me, a pot of coffee is a good start.

 

[Monique]

I once had a small cup of coffee at an afternoon Christmas party.. I was hyper and rattling the whole evening and couldn't get my eyes to close until 2 am, having to get up and work again at 5.30

Those people liked strong coffee, and to impress the guests with their habit I guess they added a few extra scoops :P after that I only drank tea at their place :D

 

[Ivan Seeking]

College turned me into a complete coffee fiend. I have been a coffee drinker since age 10, but in college, at times I nearly lived on coffee just to stay awake. I have a very high tolerance now. Tsunami and I drink the French Roast, which is very dark and strong, but allegedly the roasting cooks the caffeine out of the beans. So really, we drink very strong flavored coffee that is relatively low on caffeine.

I am not sure if the reduced caffeine claims are really true but they seem to be. A cup of cheap hotel coffee sends me into orbit. [well, maybe a few cups]

 

[Descartes]

It definitely increases my alertness, and I'd say I drink four espresso shots a day on average. From what I understand an average espresso shot is ~50mg of caffeine, and an average drip cup of coffee contains ~100mg. I've read wild variances in what the half life of caffeine is, but I generally try to not have more than ~100mg at once. Too much and I'm so lucid that I start seeing tracers

In short: A nice single shot of espresso properly brewed will increase your lucidity, but it generally won't make you hyperactive. Be sure to visit CoffeeGeek to learn how to make that proper shot.

 

[zk4586]

I prefer tea. During the week, I drink about 5 cups a day; on the weekend, it's more like 8-10 cups a day. I'm drinking a cup right now actually. Interesting side note, I remember hearing an interview on NPR about a month or so ago with a foreign newspaper correspondant in Iraq who would drink about 25 cups of tea a day, because he had to work through the night to get the stories finished and sent out on time. All that tea, however, caused him to have abnormal heart rhythms that could lead to a heart attack were he to continue with his excessive drinking habit. There were probably other factors involved, but even still, it gives you something to think about.

 

[Monique]

Well, I only drink green/herb teas so I believe there is no caffeine in that.

My previous roommate used to drink soo much coffee, huge mugs a practically all the time.. she was always hyper, studying and studying and complaining about her heart and that she had so much trouble concentrating.

I told her that the coffee were causing her symptoms.

In the end she went to see a cardiologist because of the rhythm problems, she thought she had some kind of scary disorder :P turned out it was the coffee after all :D

 

[KLscilevothma]

I drink coffee only when I feel sleepy but need to stay up, probably after a few nights without much sleep. However, I don't think caffeine helps me to concentrate on my studies, but decreases the effectiveness of studying. It only allows me to skim through a few more pages.

My previous roommate used to drink soo much coffee, huge mugs a practically all the time.. she was always hyper, studying and studying and complaining about her heart and that she had so much trouble concentrating.

Well, drinking too much coffee for a long period of time may affect our health. This is the mainly reason why I drink coffee only when necessary.

In fact I don't believe caffeine can help improving our academic performances in the long run by helping us to stay awake. Afterall our brains need rests more than stimulants.

 

[Monique]

Yeah, but what if you didn't get that good night sleep you needed? It just takes an awfull long time to read a sentence, some caffeine helps, but then I get distracted..

The problem is that I can't get a good night sleep when I am studying, maybe I should buy some running shoes and get some good exercise between chapters :P

 

[Tsu]

Originally posted by Monique
Yeah, but what if you didn't get that good night sleep you needed? It just takes an awfull long time to read a sentence, some caffeine helps, but then I get distracted..

The problem is that I can't get a good night sleep when I am studying, maybe I should buy some running shoes and get some good exercise between chapters :P

THAT will help both with the studying AND the good night's sleep!

 

[Adam]

Coffee, Coke, and other caffeine-filled drinks make me sleepy [zz)]. I often have green tea, but mostly I stick to water, cordial, fruit juice...

 

[Loren Booda]

Hot chocolate here! It tastes better and has less caffeine than coffee, but watch the sugar. Drug interactions prevent me from imbibing cola and coffee - they make me irritable.

Doesn't green tea have caffeine naturally, Monique? Green tea's good for many health reasons (e. g., as an anticarcinogen) as opposed to coffee, though.

I prefer a clear head for studying.

 

[Tsu]

Originally posted by Loren Booda
Hot chocolate here! It tastes better and has less caffeine than coffee, but watch the sugar. Drug interactions prevent me from imbibing cola and coffee - they make me irritable.

Doesn't green tea have caffeine naturally, Monique? Green tea's good for many health reasons (e. g., as an anticarcinogen) as opposed to coffee, though.

I prefer a clear head for studying.

I believe that all teas naturally have caffeine (except for straight herbals - chamomille, peppermint, etc) but green tea has less caffeine than black teas. I've heard that Orange Pekoe (your basic Lipton teabag) has as much or MORE caffeine than coffee, but I don't know how true this is.

 

[KLscilevothma]

Originally posted by Monique
The problem is that I can't get a good night sleep when I am studying, maybe I should buy some running shoes and get some good exercise between chapters :P

Every night there should be a period of time in which you feel the sleepest. If you can go through this sleepest period, you'll be able to stay up at late as you like. So maybe during this sleepest period, do some exercise to keep you awake ?

Same as Loren Booda, I prefer a clear head for studying.

 

[Bubonic Plague]

Hot chocolate here!

Cold chocolate is my choice. I hate the way hot/warm drinks leave a warm trail down your gullet, a cold trail gives me more Oomph.

 

[Monique]

Originally posted by KL Kam
Every night there should be a period of time in which you feel the sleepest. If you can go through this sleepest period, you'll be able to stay up at late as you like. So maybe during this sleepest period, do some exercise to keep you awake ?

Same as Loren Booda, I prefer a clear head for studying.

No, the prob is that I can't fall to sleep when I've been studying, and I can't study when I didn't get proper sleep..

The exercise would help me fall asleep, and the sleep will help me to study :P

 

[Monique]

Yesterday I just went to bed early with my 1500 paged book and started reading there.. at least I can't be distracted being pinned to the ceiling.. I somehow fell asleep soon after, after which I woke up at 3, went down to get a cup of tea and a banana and finished a whole chapter, after those few hours reading I went back to sleep again :P

And I feel fresh like a Duck today!

 

[Tsu]

Originally posted by Monique
Yesterday I just went to bed early with my 1500 paged book and started reading there.. at least I can't be distracted being pinned to the ceiling..

Your bed is pinned to the ceiling?

And I feel fresh like a Duck today!

Like a...Duck? (Is that a Dutch espression? Here we say 'fresh as a daisy'. I like yours LOTS better! I really enjoy exploring cultural differences like these.)

 

[Monique]

Originally posted by Tsunami
Your bed is pinned to the ceiling?

Actually it is, yeah
I have to use my space economically.. you must know Holland has a very high population density? :P

Like a...Duck? (Is that a Dutch espression? Here we say 'fresh as a daisy'. I like yours LOTS better! I really enjoy exploring cultural differences like these.) [/B]

Actually we say: fris als een hoentje.. but there is no translation for 'hoentje', it is basically a kind of duck, black with yellow feet and a white beak..

This is the best pic I could find: http://www.judithvanbilderbeek.nl/v1/data/media/2/eendje_web.jpg"

 

[KLscilevothma]

Originally posted by Monique
No, the prob is that I can't fall to sleep when I've been studying, and I can't study when I didn't get proper sleep..

The exercise would help me fall asleep, and the sleep will help me to study :P

How about drinking a glass of milk before going to bed? It may help you to fall asleep. I haven't tried it myself though.

Actually it is, yeah
I have to use my space economically.. you must know Holland has a very high population density? :P

Monique, are you a bat?
Is it just Amsterdam densely populated or the whole country?

 

[Monique]

Originally posted by KL Kam
How about drinking a glass of milk before going to bed? It may help you to fall asleep. I haven't tried it myself though.

Maybe I should try that.. a nice cup of steeming milk with a little anise it it :P.. too bad we're out of milk.. out of anise too :(

Monique, are you a bat?

Not really, but especially for you girls I measured the distance: the matress is 2 1/3 foot size 8 from the ceiling

Is it just Amsterdam densely populated or the whole country?

Well, Holland is the most densily populated part, but it is mostly the overall coverage of the country though.. there isn't much space between the cities and villages. I imagine it isn't anything like the big cities in China :D or India :D

 

[Tsu]

Originally posted by Monique
Actually it is, yeah
I have to use my space economically.. you must know Holland has a very high population density? :P

Yes, VERY high pop. den. Would you post a picture of this bed? I'm having a hard time picturing it.

Actually we say: fris als een hoentje.. but there is no translation for 'hoentje', it is basically a kind of duck, black with yellow feet and a white beak..

This is the best pic I could find: http://www.judithvanbilderbeek.nl/v1/data/media/2/eendje_web.jpg"

Cute! Who did the painting? Is 'fris' Dutch for 'fresh'? As first glance, I thought it might be 'cold' (frio is Spanish for cold).

 

[Monique]

Originally posted by Tsunami
Yes, VERY high pop. den. Would you post a picture of this bed? I'm having a hard time picturing it.

lol, well, I don't think I have any pictures available at the moment :P

Cute! Who did the painting?

Some lady named: Judith van Bilderbeek, who knows, maybe the next Van Gogh :D

Is 'fris' Dutch for 'fresh'? As first glance, I thought it might be 'cold' (frio is Spanish for cold). [/B]

Very sharp, actually it can mean both. Actually, it means pop (or soda) too: frisdrank = freshdrink

 

[Tsu]

Originally posted by Monique
lol, well, I don't think I have any pictures available at the moment :P

OK. So what I'm picturing is a platform up on, basically, stilts! Maybe a little ladder to climb up and a small sitting/desk or storage underneath. Am I close?

Some lady named: Judith van Bilderbeek, who knows, maybe the next Van Gogh :D

Funny you said that. I was thinking it looked a bit Van Gogh-ish.

Very sharp, actually it can mean both. Actually, it means pop (or soda) too: frisdrank = freshdrink

Interesting. Spanish is a latin-based language. I thought Dutch was more germanic or slavic in origin. Help me here! Teach me Dutch!

 

[Monique]

Originally posted by Tsunami
OK. So what I'm picturing is a platform up on, basically, stilts! Maybe a little ladder to climb up and a small sitting/desk or storage underneath. Am I close?

No, it is hanging on the wall, literally. It amazes me even that it hasn't come down yet :P

Basically there is a wooden beam attached to the wall, along the length where one side supports on. There is a large closet to the foot end, which it supports on, and on the head end.. I am not sure.. there are some water pipes running between it.. I guess there must be some kind of attachement to that wall too, although I can't see it [:P]

If I were 2 inches smaller I could stand up underneath it There is a cupboard, a bookshelf, a open metal construction with lots of stuff on it underneath it, and a large inflatable couch.

Interesting. Spanish is a latin-based language. I thought Dutch was more germanic or slavic in origin. Help me here! Teach me Dutch! [/B]

Well, germanic languages have a large latin influence too. You want to learn Dutch?? You can start by practicing the sentence: "Ik hou van jou" together with Ivan

 

[Tsu]

Originally posted by Monique
No, it is hanging on the wall, literally. It amazes me even that it hasn't come down yet :P

Basically there is a wooden beam attached to the wall, along the length where one side supports on. There is a large closet to the foot end, which it supports on, and on the head end.. I am not sure.. there are some water pipes running between it.. I guess there must be some kind of attachement to that wall too, although I can't see it [:P]

If I were 2 inches smaller I could stand up underneath it There is a cupboard, a bookshelf, a open metal construction with lots of stuff on it underneath it, and a large inflatable couch.

Cool! How old is your building? Ivan's cousin in Utrecht had a 3-story row house (garage at street level, LR, DR, & Kitchen on the second level and 2 BR's and a bath on the third level) close to the town center. Walk to many GOOD restaurants. YUM. Do you live close to center of Amsterdam? (Even BETTER restaurants! YUM!)

Well, germanic languages have a large latin influence too. You want to learn Dutch?? You can start by practicing the sentence: "Ik hou van jou" together with Ivan

I'll have to research that. The german I learned from my grandmother and all I heard Ivan speak as he took it in college had an occasional similarity with spanish, but I always thought that they had totally different influences.
I was taught by a friend at an early age as I learned street spanish to NEVER SAY ANYTHING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE THAT YOU ARE NOT ABSOLUTELY SURE OF WHAT IT MEANS! YOU COULD LOOSE SOME TEETH THAT WAY! So, do you have a good Dutch/English translation website where I can look that up before I possibly get myself in trouble?

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

There is an older expression in English that say's "I feel Ducky", as for the bed, well, the woman admits to being 1.5 meters below sea level, probably just floating...

EDIT P.S. I voted for will increase alertness, as it does that in me, used it for years as I drove a Highway snowplow, sometimes 36 hrs straight, needed to to stay awake/alert/conscious etc...

 

[Monique]

Originally posted by Mr. Robin Parsons
There is an older expression in English that say's "I feel Ducky", as for the bed, well, the woman admits to being 1.5 meters below sea level, probably just floating...

Well, I am on the second floor AND my bed is up the ceiling, so I guess I am safe.. (remember in the 60s or so a large part of the Netherlands flooded at night and many people drowned in their sleep?)

http://www.foreignword.com is what I always use, it is a meta dictionary and also supports sentence translations.. don't worry though :)