DeKALB – Sleepy students walking off an early morning bus into Northern Illinois University’s Holmes Student Center have a solution for their tired eyes just a few feet away.

Awaiting them through the doors is a large Rockstar Energy Drink vending machine, promising double strength and double length remedies to grogginess. For students such as Bridgett Phelan, energy drinks are her extra-caffeinated cup of tea when it comes to test time.

“I love Red Bull,” said Phelan, a sophomore from Bourbonnais. “I don’t know that it makes me focus more, but it makes me stay up longer when I’m studying for tests or finals. It works better than coffee.”