[Waterluvian]

Caffeine pills also release the caffeine in a different way.

I too was a student and I too tried to min/max. I found that caffeine via coffee hit me harder and wore off quicker. A pill was this slow drip effect that left me absolutely screwed for bedtime if I had it any time past 1pm.

Anecdotal but my conclusion is: they're not the same.

[asdff]

I find I can still sleep alright 4 hours after taking a pill, like I would with a cup of coffee. I keep to that schedule of every 4-5 hours over the course of the day.

Maybe the coatings in your particular pill were different. I found gelatin capsules kicked in slower than pressed tablets that began to dissolve when they hit my saliva, but still lasted about the same. My tolerance to caffeine has always been high, though.