There are two things a good warrior holds dear: his weapon and his magic potions.

I was first introduced to energy drinks in my freshman year. A friend of mine had a revelation: “If we pregame for parties, why can’t we pregame for tests?” After a simple process of elimination, an energy drink stood out as the best pregame beverage candidate for midterms and finals. First of all, it looks cool, and offers a welcome change from the Starbucks logo that terrorizes every corner of the campus. Secondly, everything a person could do with a beer he can do with an energy drink (though firsthand observation suggests it would be best not to shotgun it). Finally, the power of the drink cannot be overstated. With a few gulps of this magic liquid, I have achieved the impossible: cramming for an exam overnight and reviving brain cells that I never knew were alive during tests.

(Disclaimer: Bwog does not encourage the consumption of these caffeinated drinks but believes students should rely on themselves and nothing but themselves in any form of exams… But seriously, who are we kidding?)

Unfortunately, this powerful drink is not without its downside. Energy drink takes a toll on their user: the consumer may experience a rapid pulse, numbness in arms, uncontrolled giggling (which a bystander may find unsettling because the symptoms are not unlike “summoning a demon”), as well as a burst of brain juices so violent that the consumer loses control of his cognitive accuracy.

But worst of all is the stigma that comes with energy drinks. In the quiet lecture hall, popping open the can might attract some unwanted attention. This includes envious stares, amused looks, propositions to share the drink, and unsavory comments such as, “Really getting juiced up, huh?” Consequently, dear reader, I present to you the ultimate compromise—a coffee and energy drink mixture.

For me, black coffee is too bitter and energy drinks too sweet. Thus it is only natural to combine the two to achieve the perfect balance of flavor. To test out this idea, this writer bravely conducted an experiment to find out the ideal concoction.

Ingredients: A cup of coffee (in this case it is just a good old cup from Hewitt) and an energy drink of your choosing. 

Result: In order for the energy drink to really function as a sweetener, it is recommended that it take up no less than half of the mixture. In fact, anything consisting of less than thirty percent of the energy drink will make the musky liquid taste similar to vinegary coffee beans. But once the balance is half and half, the unique taste becomes bearable, which alone should be enough to revive a drowsy brain.

A word of caution: When you first mix the two liquids together, you might see on the surface a layer of foam. There is no need to be alarmed: think of this as a quick and easy way to make a fancy cappuccino.

After drinking this “sweetened” coffee, I got a significant boost of efficiency in studying. For those enterprising and fearless souls out there, give this potion a shot! May you unleash your full potential, and I wish you the best of luck on your finals.

Images via Bwog Staff and Flickr