Caffeine: The Key to Increasing Students’ Level of Focus

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Julia Tran

Caffeine gives students the burst of energy they need in the morning to stay focused at school.

Addi Wedin, Staff Reporter

Observing the La Salle student body, caffeine seems to be becoming more and more popular among high school students. It’s becoming a necessity before school for many teens, including myself.

Throughout high school, caffeine has become highly addictive for me. I always find myself making coffee, or in the Dutch Bros drive through to get my fix of coffee for the day. However, I believe that choosing healthier drinks with little to no caffeine can be beneficial. 

A lot of people believe drinking caffeine can cause health problems, but drinking regular coffee, not including sugary drinks from Dutch Bros, can help you live a longer, healthier life and also decrease cancer risks, according to Healthline. Additionally, coffee can help reduce the risk of liver damage and also “may slow disease progression, improve treatment response, and lower the risk of premature death.”

A lot of the health benefits from drinking coffee can help during school as well. I feel that it can completely change how you feel in the mornings, and it can make a school day way better. Having a cup of coffee in the morning bursts my mood very quickly. 

Ms. Karen Kessler, a Spanish teacher at La Salle, agrees that coffee is strong method to start your day. “I find coffee very effective for me to jump start my day,” she said. “It helps with [my] focus.” 

The upperclassmen at La Salle tend to drink more coffee or caffeine before school. “I typically see 4-5 students per class drinking coffee,” Ms. Kessler said. “Not many freshmen, some sophomores, but mostly upperclassmen.”  

Students who are always tired or in a bad mood can be changed beneficially by caffeine. According to Psychology Today, caffeine is a key element that leads to better moods and successful mental performance.

A lot of students, including me, struggle with sitting through and focusing in classes every day, but coffee does help. Junior Olivia Pisaneschi agrees. “I think it does help me do better in my work,” she said. “I am awake and ready to take on the task given to me.” 

Pisaneschi loves to start her day off almost every morning with a cup of coffee. “When I drink coffee, I definitely notice a difference,” she said. “I feel way more awake and energized and happy overall.” 

One other benefit of coffee is that it can “help you focus and be more productive and, in so doing, may help decrease your feelings of anxiety.”

The craving of coffee makes my mouth water. Coffee is something I look forward to in my day, and helps me get out of bed when I’m exhausted because I know once I have my coffee, I will be set for the day ahead of me. I look forward to getting ahold of a warm cup of coffee or other caffeinated beverages because it helps me reduce the effects of sleep deprivation by being more alert during the day.

High schoolers can get very caught up in buying drinks every morning, and often purchase sugar-filled drinks because they taste better. In the end, those drinks may have a negative effect on health conditions, especially extremely sugary drinks like Rebels and Kickers. 

Some teenagers spend lots of money on drinks that aren’t benefiting their health, but in fact making it worse. Those are the types of drinks that aren’t going to help, and may end up causing headaches or nausea because of all the sugar they contain.

Coffee — with minimum sugar — is the best option before school. Only a little bit of sugar will do the work. This healthy caffeine can improve work ethic and help with focusing and productivity in school.

Waking up in the mornings can be very difficult for high school students, especially when they are staying up late trying to finish their homework. A lot of students lack enough sleep at night, and don’t have the energy to get through the day. 

Senior Alexis Kemp said that caffeine helps her with this lack of sleep.“It allows me to better focus and get my energy up in the mornings because I’m always tired,” she said. “I don’t get enough sleep.” 

A cup of coffee in the morning could be the perfect solution. It won’t cover for all the sleep students miss, but it definitely could provide a boost to get through a school day.

As teens go through high school, each school year tends to get more difficult as students start doing more things. Usually, they get less sleep. So, a cup of coffee is a great way to help them get through the school day when they are extremely tired.