What Students Need in Order to Wake Up with a Smile

“Baaazziinngg!” It’s a Monday morning. Your alarm is screeching and you roll over only to discover you have overslept.

You are still sleeping as you throw on a sweatshirt and yoga pants. Driving to school is extremely difficult because one of your eyes is still closed. You run into your first class and instantly fall asleep. This happens in every other class you go to for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, your teachers get frustrated with you and your grades start to slip because you have not been paying attention in class because you’re exhausted. It does not matter how early you go to bed at night, you are still extremely tired come that 7:35 AM bell.

There is nothing you can do! Teenagers are just tired! However, if you overslept last year and rushed to school, you could purchase a nice coffee or iced beverage to wake you up and keep you focused. Studies show that coffee can “boost a person’s vigilance, and improve performance and concentration,” (Facts About Coffee and Positive Effect, Nathan Knightley). Unfortunately this year, Wilmington High School has banned all caffeine from the school, for both students and teachers. Without caffeine, students tend to be sleepy and less focused. Without caffeine, teachers tend to be more irritable and annoyed. Distracted students and frustrated teachers are not a good mix.

Having an iced coffee throughout the day gives students that little extra boost of energy they need to perform to the best of their ability. Teachers will appreciate attentive students, which affects the way the class proceeds for the rest of the year in a positive way. Caffeine is banned from Wilmington High School for a few reasons. One reason students cannot bring in a coffee or an iced beverage to school is because too much caffeine is not healthy for anyone. In fact, caffeine can be considered a drug because it is highly addictive. However, consuming one caffeinated beverage day is not harmful for one’s health.

Another reason caffeine is banned from this high school is because some students abused the gift we were given. For example, spilling your coffee all over the staircase on purpose to make your friends laugh is not cool. Silly spills ruin coffee for everyone else. Students and teachers should rally together to get caffeine back in the schools. Of course, there will need to be some ground rules set up so students understand what is expected of them.

One of the main rules should be that if you abuse this extra bonus that is meant for everyone to enjoy, only the abuser shall be penalized, not the entire school and faculty. Another rule can be that students may only bring in one caffeinated beverage a day and they must be small sizes. Since Wilmington High is so concerned with the students consumption of unhealthy foods, only small coffees should be allowed. According to www.thisblogrules.com, “Caffeine is shown to temporarily one’s ability to learn. It also increases comprehension, memory, reflexes, and clarity of thought,” (15 Things You Should Know About Caffeine, Homeowner’s Insurance). Students will be able to learn more and actually retain more information if the ban on caffeine at Wilmington High School is lifted. Teachers will be able to teach students that are conscientious and alert. There’s nothing better than teachers teaching and students grasping the concepts they are learning.

Caffeine should be allowed back into Wilmington High School because it can only help us students succeed.