It is every student’s dream to complete college and achieve his dream career. This process requires a lot of commitment. Staying focused is important. However, some students might lose focus due to various reasons. Lack of concentration can lower students’ grade and in some cases lead to dropping out of school or college. It is important to prevent such disastrous consequences by addressing the issue before you lose control over it. There is no standard formula to overcome concentration challenges facing many students; the only answer is to stay committed and always avoid last minute rush.
How caffeine may deal with problems of lack of concentration
When feeling groggy in the morning, it’s not surprising that one will quickly reach out for a cup of coffee. Many students enjoy drinking coffee every morning to stay active throughout the day. Coffee provides the energy needed to go about everyday activities. The caffeine in coffee acts a mild stimulant, and it helps in enhancing our levels of concentration.
Our memory consists of short-term and long-term memory; short-term memory is responsible for active learning, especially for grasping new materials. Long-term memory helps to retain information that one can recall later. Research studies reveal that caffeine improves performance in long-term memory. Caffeine facilitates better information storage or retrieval.
Caffeine stimulates the short–term memory, increasing the levels of alertness that aids in retaining new information. When feeling tired and cannot concentrate, taking coffee awakens the short-term memory to help us grasp new information; this process facilitates learning and a better understanding of certain contents.
When taken in large amounts, caffeine can cause negative effects on both long-term and short-term memory. Caffeine impairs long-term memory, it also affects short-term memory, and it reduces the ability to concentrate.
Caffeine has several risks; studies prove that women who consume 31 to 250 mg of caffeine each day are at a higher risk of developing fibrocystic breast disease. Young women are likely to develop dense breast tissue, which prevents the effectiveness of mammography used for cancer screening. Women with unusual circumstances that might put them at a higher risk like those who take caffeine frequently are advised to go for annual screening because of the elevated risk for breast cancer.
Some groups of women with higher risks of breast cancer are advised to go for MRI screening apart from a mammogram, especially those within the age bracket of 30 years. The combination of mammogram and MRI helps detect breast cancer early. Such studies motivate women and doctors understand other risk factors of breast cancer apart from the common risks like the family history.
Students think is it a good idea to drink coffee before an exam to ease the tension, even though caffeine stimulates our brain and improves alertness, most students are not aware of the potential risk of developing fibrocystic breast disease. Drinking coffee boosts our energy levels and the ability to remember what we have learned. However, drinking coffee should be discouraged and instead other alternatives should be explored. For example, good planning, proper diet, hard work and daily exercises can help students stay healthy and focused.
What problems caffeine may cause in students
Many people would argue that taking caffeine in small amounts is not harmful; however, frequent use can be harmful in the long run. The Essay Zoo team prepared possible problems caused by regular caffeine taking.
- Caffeine is harmful because it increases the risks of heart attacks among young adults. Young people who like taking coffee and are diagnosed with mild hypertension are four-time at risk of developing heart attack especially if they consume caffeine in large amounts.
Studies show that women who consume more than 250 mg of caffeine each day are at risk of developing fibrocystic breast disease and cysts. - Caffeine consumed in large amounts may cause insomnia, affects our sleep patterns
Caffeine interferes with ossification leading to a greater risk of developing bone fractures; this is among the many health risk factors related to consuming several cups of coffee every day. - People who take caffeinated drinks often experience stomach upset or indigestion especially if they consume caffeine on an empty stomach.
- Caffeine causes headaches, even though people use caffeine to relieve them from headaches when consumed in large amounts, caffeine can cause headaches that also cause migraines.
- Studies reveal that caffeine can reduce fertility among women; caffeine minimizes the chances of women becoming pregnant by up to 27 percent.
- Women who take caffeine are at risk of miscarriage, women who consumed two cups of caffeine every day before conception is at risk of a miscarriage.
- Caffeine has several side effects; it can lead to increased levels of depression, anxiety and the need for medication to minimize these effects.
- Consuming caffeine in large quantities increases the amount of sugar in our body which can increase the risk of developing diabetes and obesity.
What alternatives to coffee exist in a modern world?
The question is what the best drink is for studying? Caffeinated drinks cause diuretic effect resulting frequent urination. Even though students prefer grabbing a cup of coffee, there are other alternatives that can help them concentrate on a task like academic essay writing.
Water
Water is the best you can drink while studying. Water has several benefits. Using water to overcome challenges of concentration will help you maintain a good balance of body fluids, keep your body organs like kidneys healthy and help maintain normal bowel function as compared to caffeinated drinks.
Milk
Drinking milk instead of caffeine provides you with healthy options. Milk contains acetylcholine that stimulates neuron to improve your memory. A glass of milk every day promotes rehydration, provide calcium needed by the body and prevent chronic ailments. Drinking milk instead of coffee keeps your body healthy.
Fruit and vegetable juices
Fruits and vegetable juices offer better alternatives than coffee, vegetable, and fresh fruit juices contain nutrients and antioxidants needed by the brain to function. The nutrients and antioxidants in fruits and vegetables help improve your memory, giving the much-needed energy to study.
Smoothies
Smoothies can also be a healthier alternative, making your smoothies at home using healthy ingredients like berries, banana or peaches, gives you natural energy.
Green tea
Tea comes with different health benefits. Green tea is healthier; it contains low amounts of caffeine as compared to coffee. Tea not only lower cholesterol and blood sugar. Green tea also has nutritional benefits that coffee lacks.
Everyone at times loses concentration while studying; lack of concentration can result in negative consequences, especially among students. Overcoming concentration challenges require commitment, proper planning and living a healthy lifestyle.
