Jessica Neal is not a morning person. Because she has trouble waking up, she relies on another source to do the job -- a hot cup of joe.

"If I get up early to study and drink coffee, I can concentrate without falling asleep on my books." Neal (freshman-elementary education) said. "Although, if I have too much coffee, I get jittery."

Pressured for time, many students turn to study aids such as coffee, energy drinks and Adderall to help them through finals week.

In an informal Daily Collegian poll of 100 Penn State students, 36 percent said they drink coffee during finals week, 21 percent drink energy drinks or soda, six percent use prescription drugs such as Adderall and 19 percent said they use nothing. The remaining 18 percent said they use a range of other things including candy, lots of sleep and food and water.

Caffeine seems to be the popular choice among students, and coffee shops on campus prepare for finals week by stocking up on supplies and offering drinks with extra caffeine.

Kathy Burke, a full-time employee at Moxie, said smoothies are the most popular drinks during finals week at the Moxie Coffee Bar.

"A lot of students also ask for ginkgo in drinks because it improves your memory," Burke said. "They probably should have been getting it all year though."

Eric Stehman (junior-energy, business and finance), another student who uses caffeine during finals week, said he drinks Red Bull to keep himself focused.

"I drink Red Bull because it works -- I can stay up all night," Stehman said. "But, the next day I'm usually tired, and I've almost missed tests because of it."

CVS pharmacist Tara Merritt said CVS Pharmacy, 116 W. College Ave., receives an increase in prescriptions for Adderall and Ritalin before and during finals week. She called it "bizarre" and added she's never seen it anywhere else before.

"Some people come in for a prescription that week and never refill it again," Merritt said. "I don't think it's a good idea to use these prescription drugs without a diagnosis, especially because Adderall is in the highest class of addictive drugs."

Drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin are classified as central nervous system stimulants and are prescribed to those with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to drugs.com. These drugs allow a person to focus better, but they can also cause increased blood pressure, tremors, uneven heartbeat and fainting.

Pharmacies require a prescription for these medications, but they are available without a prescription through several Web sites online.

Dr. Evan Pattishall, University Health Services clinical director, said these types of prescription drugs might help someone stay awake longer, but they are not going to improve learning.