Finals can be rough, and sometimes just downright nasty. Many students, myself included, often turn to caffeine to help provide the body with the necessary energy to keep going. The interesting thing about caffeine is that it affects different bodies in different ways. If I were to consume four cups of coffee I would be buzzing around for hours on end, as if I had a severely overactive thyroid. My roommate, on the other hand, can throw back a few sodas and then nap like it is her job. It all depends on how acclimated your body is to caffeine. This is something to keep in mind during finals week.

Caffeine is a stimulant, meaning that it increases your heart rate, blood pressure, secretion of hormones and even your breathing rate. In greater amounts, more than four or five sodas, it can actually cause sweating, tenseness, headaches, anxiety and an inability to concentrate. This is definitely something to remember when studying. The last thing you need is to freak out about your test, lose your focus, and start sweating profusely when you realize you can neither concentrate on your studies, nor get any rest before the big test. Try to pace yourself, especially if you typically don't drink a lot of caffeine.

In addition to causing an increased metabolic rate and an inability to stay focused, caffeine is also a diuretic. This means that consuming lots of caffeine can make you dehydrated, by causing an increased loss of water. Dehydration actually contributes to weakness and exhaustion, the exact thing you are attempting to avoid when studying. You may be better off drinking water, or at least alternating it in between cups of coffee to stay awake.

It is also important to realize that caffeine can be found in sneaky sources other than your typical cup of joe. It is found in many weight-loss pills, cold medicines, pain relievers, as well as tea and chocolate. For comparison's sake, one five-ounce cup of coffee contains about 130 milligrams of caffeine. Surprisingly, this is the same amount in some standard doses of pain relievers. In fact, a 12-ounce can of soda actually contains less caffeine. In contrast, don't worry too much about the caffeine in chocolate, as a typical snack will only give one-fourth of the amount that's in your average soda.

So is there anything that is beneficial from drinking caffeine? Caffeine is actually an ergogenic aid. This means that it can actually enhance performance when exercising. It causes a release of fatty acids from their stores in adipose or fat tissue, thus enhancing endurance. However, it is important to realize that it does cause both dehydration and excessive trembling, so it may not be the best strategy to improve your performance.

Although caffeine may be necessary when studying for finals, you might want to consider the negative effects it can pose on your studying efforts. The biggest thing to remember is that too much of it can cause undesirable side effects. So although drinking coffee can be fun, try to cut yourself off before you get to seven or eight cups. And finally, good luck during finals week; may your studying efforts prove fruitful.