Investing in my Investment in the Future

Before:
As a dedicated college student, I tend to spend large portions of time at school — most of my days, in fact. When I'm at school, I'm certainly not just sitting there: I'm going to class, I'm taking tests, I'm studying, I'm running across campus; whatever I need to do, I do it. So, even though I make sure that I stop and take the time to eat lunch, I usually end up getting a run-down feeling right around 3:30, which, unfortunately for me, is smack-dab in the middle of my Congress class (I'm a Political Science major, of course I have a class all about Congress). Now, I'm the kind of student who likes to pay attention to professors (I figure that if they've gone to all the effort of getting a Ph.D in something like Americanist Political Science, there's got to be something interesting about it… right?), but when that feeling starts to hit me, there's no turning back; I lose the ability to concentrate and I start to feel like I'm watching my life, rather than experiencing it. (And I can't think of anything less interesting than a television show about someone taking a class).

So, to avoid this, I get myself a burst of energy; I get my very favorite candy: Starbursts

During:
As I'm eating Starbursts, not only am I thinking "mmm… this is good" and feeling the juicy flavor take over my mouth like some sort of police raid, but I can nearly feel the life rushing back through my body. I start to be able to concentrate again, and I feel as if the fog of midday-incompetence is lifting from me. I honestly don't know how it's possible to feel better before I've actually swallowed anything, but it does seem to be the case.

Ah, human again.

After:
I'd say the most notable benefit of having eaten Starbursts is that my subsequent ability to pay attention aids my noble struggle to attain the kinds of grades that make professors smile (or at least don't make them weep). I hate how… commercialized this sounds, but the difference is almost like in those Claritin commercials: the world becomes more clear and understandable. I become a functional member of the class again, no longer afraid of falling asleep at my desk.