Caffeinate Carefully
Date Written: July 10, 2024; Last Modified: July 10, 2024Thank you to Hayden (a former student) for this suggestion!
I personally use caffeine on a regular basis, and it most likely boosts my performance when drowsy mornings and high-stakes tests occur together. However, caffeine can cause changes in thought patterns and impact your test-taking strategies, especially if you over-caffeinate yourself on test day.
Student Testimony 1.
“On the second midterm for [Math] 131AH I decided it would help me focus and maintain a good pace to have coffee before the exam. I did zoom through the exam and felt quite confident, but it turned out that this confidence was in fact caffeine-induced delusion. I did far worse on the exam than I felt. On one question where I instantly recalled the proof idea, I was in such a hurry that I negated the conclusion I was trying to prove without realizing it. “
— Hayden, Math 131ABH Student
If you’re like me and having too much coffee makes you jittery, restless, and/or anxious, I would recommend switching to tea. Although less potent than coffee, tea leaves contain a lot of terpenes that purportedly counterbalance these negative effects of caffeine.