There is nothing I love more than large hot cup of sweet coffee in the morning. Stop at Starbucks, order whatever is in season and continue my day trusting that my five dollar latte is going to keep me awake. It’s a bonus that it tastes like sweet warm heaven. Drinking coffee is a regular habit.

coffee2Caffeine is a fast reliable source of energy, especially for young high school students around the world. Stayed up all night studying? Coffee. Had a bad morning? Coffee. It sometimes even replaces a meal. It should probably be on our school supply list.

However, some feel that it is a large problem that teens feel the need to rely on stimulants to keep their brains awake. Yes, it’s known that teens should sleep more and try to organize their time better so that teens don’t have to crave a cup of Joe for the day, but it really is quite difficult. Most teens are involved in more than one extracurricular at school, not including any club sports one might play. Teens have to keep up with all home responsibilities and if one teacher assigns one hours’ worth of homework, and with four subjects, that’s an equivalent of four hours of homework! And let’s not forget the social life.

Energy drinks are also a common. Five-hour energy drinks are sold at almost every convenience store, so it’s not hard to come by. We feel more vibrant, awake. We can go through the day feeling maybe 10 percent better than how we started. Yet, the downside coming with these drinks is that it has been proven that there are many bad side-effects, such as sugar crashes, drowsiness, and lack of motivation. Instead of coffee, there is the option of trying ‘wake-me-up smoothies’ or a hearty breakfast. It’s good to keep in mind there are other selections available.