On a typical morning, the halls of LT are abuzz with students and teachers toting mugs filled with caffeinated beverages. Whether their reason be lack of sleep or they just enjoy the extra boost, they still are relying on a caffeinated crutch to get them through their day.

I am no exception. Like many of my peers, my schedule is quite hectic. I have been guilty of using caffeine as tool to enhance my academic performance since the beginning of my junior year. A typical day for me includes attending school, participating in one of many extracurricular activities and going to work before finally returning home to embark on many hours of homework.

There is no proper balance between a full schedule and sufficient sleep; therefore, to supplement the sleep I am trading in for other activities I have deemed more important, I turn to caffeine. Whether it be a cup of coffee at 9 p.m. to augment my mental clarity and eradicate exhaustion or a mug of green tea to allow me to “recover” from a night of little sleep, my dependence on caffeine is a dynamic force in my academic practice.

In order to test my capabilities sans caffeine, I decided to remove all forms of caffeine including coffee, tea, soda and chocolate from my diet for the first week of the new semester. The night before second semester began, I tossed and turned thinking about the academic stress of the semester to come mixed with the anxiety of college acceptances still in question. While it is hard to admit, I actually became quite nervous knowing I would not have the support of caffeine while commencing second semester.

The second my alarm blared on the first day back, I was overwhelmed with a yearning to remain in bed. It was cold, I was tired and I wished I could brew a cup of coffee to boost my morning mood. Instead, I chose decaffeinated tea and made my way to school. To my surprise, by the time first period concluded I had woken up and the thought of caffeine had fled my mind. I felt naturally awake but knew that exhaustion would soon return once homework was assigned and activities resumed.

The week continued to progress in a similar fashion until I was faced with a busy school night. Around 8 p.m., I was struggling to stay awake. I knew I needed to find another mechanism to allow myself to complete my homework, so I consulted the internet where I learned that exercising amid study time can enhance focus and temporarily eliminate drowsiness. I decided to take a half an hour out of my homework time to work out and the results were exceptional. Upon the conclusion of my workout, I was wide awake and ready to complete the rest of my homework.

As the week concluded, I began to experience side effects beyond drowsiness that I unfortunately could not quell with exercise. I had difficulty focusing on my homework and even experiences minor headaches in the mornings.

While I am not sure that this week long caffeine cleanse will be the end of my caffeine consumption, I do know that I do not need to rely on caffeine to be successful. I have learned that exercise can be as beneficial as caffeine, and it is much healthier. From this moment forward, I plan to use caffeine sparingly so I do not develop an unbreakable dependence and can live a healthier life.