We all know school can be a tough balancing act that can require academic fortitude, physical stamina – and plenty of strategies about how we and eke out even more hours out of already lengthy days.

Urban Dictionary defines “cramming” the following way: “The act of studying the day of or night before.” When finals are on the line or a big test is coming up cramming becomes a critical way of life for any North Atlanta student. So, exactly how to cram becomes the critical question. What, exactly, then, keeps the Warriors wired?

    As coffee slowly fades out of the “norm”, new and interesting techniques take their place. Red Bull, 5 Hour Energy, and Brazilian Black Coffee seem to lose their effect after extended use. So what happens at 3 in the morning when there’s no more Keurig cups to satisfy the tired under-eye bags that popped up after the second hour of studying? To this question, the sleep-deprived students of North Atlanta are happy to weigh in.

   Sophomore Cecilia Affer is a self-proclaimed anxious procrastinator. As a dedicated AP student, she finds it important to study for the laborious exams. “I usually drink water or tea to stay hydrated and energized,” she said. “I don’t really need caffeine because my anxiety keeps me awake.”

Additionally, she finds the creative medium of dance is an effective way to stay woke during her late night study sessions. Affer is a ballet student at North Atlanta and she said the stretches she’s learned in class help her to keep alert when she’s cramming.

    Just like Affer, sophomore Emma Shaw stays calm and collected late at night in her poised ballet breaks while drinking always dependable Arnold Palmer. “Dancing keeps me awake. It gives me a break from the stress,” she said.

Additionally, she believes stretching and eating multitudes of chocolate does the trick. Shaw’s chocolate-fueled study sessions are sure to be popular with her fellow chocolate-holic peers. “I mean, it’s chocolate, right? No matter what time of day it’s always a good idea,” she said.

    Now that we’re back to school it’s back to the same stay-up-all-night routines. That means saying goodbye to languid summer days and hello to eye bags, book bags, al along with the attendant academic stress that governs all of our lives. Whether it’s blaring music at twelve in the morning, eating Godiva at one o’clock, or dancing the stress away at three, remember: this too shall pass. (Hopefully, you will too.)