how to stay awake in class

1) Please don't tell me to get more sleep. Just... just don't.

2) My old trick was the good old water bottle. Not only does it keep you hydrated, the act of gulping wakes you up a bit. When I started nodding off, I'd just take a drink of water. Of course as the lecture proceeded it'd take more and more drinks to keep me awake, and by the end of class I'd be chugging the whole thing. Also, a lot of lecture halls ask you not to bring in water. Too bad.

3) Doodling is also good. The problem is that I've found teachers really don't like this. I think if someone were to sit down and explain that the alternative is sleeping, they'd be far more understanding. That or they'd just tell you to get more sleep at home.

4) Does coffee really work any better than water?

5) I've recently discovered the wonders of gum. Trident works especially well - getting it out of its little foil cubicle is a little hard to do quietly, but I love its slim, inconspicuous shape. Makes it easy to slip from bag to mouth without drawing too much attention. I have however fallen asleep with gum in my mouth, and that's not cool.

6) Seriously, though. "Get more sleep?" Please, if it were that easy, we'd all be sleeping. I'd be sleeping right now. In fact I'd be sleeping in instead of going to lecture, which I suppose is one way to solve the problem.

7) Feel free to discuss other techniques here.