I have earned quite a reputation for being an excessive sleeper, almost to a shameful and dangerous degree. I fall asleep at the most inappropriate and inconvenient times, often wreaking havoc with myself and others. This is definitely not an overstatement. Any teacher or classmate of mine in the past four years, or the driver of that car I unconsciously rear ended last year on Diamond Bar Boulevard, or the United Airlines employee who paged my name ten times last week because I wasn’t there to board the plane (I was dozing off on a nearby bench), could testify to how sleepy I can get, regardless of the setting and situation.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone when I say that I tend to fall asleep even more so when I try studying for tests late at night. I’ve tried drinking coffee, chewing gum, washing my face with cold water, and setting backup alarms on my phone just in case I fall asleep when I should be studying. Nothing has worked so far…but perhaps a healthy(?) dose of over-the-counter chemicals will! Without further ado, here are a few different types of energy supplements I’ve tested out to combat my sleepiness.

MONSTER

This drink is nothing short of magical. I felt a surge of energy immediately after my first sip. Without becoming too hyper and disoriented, I no longer felt the need to hit the sack. It doesn’t taste too bad, but the carbonation was a bit strong. After each sip came a new wave of energy that kept me going with my studies.

5-HOUR ENERGY

Stay away from this potion, which was probably concocted by mad, evil scientists. Yes, it did its job at keeping me awake… mostly because I physically couldn’t stay still. I felt my fingertips trembling as I tried to hold a pencil. It felt like my red blood cells grew arms and legs and started sprinting through my veins in a desperate attempt to escape my body. At one point, I wanted to go on a mile run to exhaust myself from this unfamiliar rush of energy. (They aren’t kidding when they say 5 hours.)

ESPRESSO

I spit it out after my first sip. I couldn’t handle its unbearably bitter taste, but I knew I had to overcome my extremely low tolerance for bitter drinks. After drinking a shot, I slowly felt the caffeine intake taking its toll on my body. I felt alert, but not so much energetic or jittery. I was wide awake, ready to flip through my pages and soak in all the knowledge.