Whether coffee shops are feeding caffeine addictions or serving as places for late-night study sessions, they are becoming more of a staple in many college students’ lives.
“Many people, not just students, are drinking coffee more,” said Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences clinical assistant professor of nutrition Joan Salge-Blake.
“Years ago, there weren’t as many coffee shops,” she said. “With the birth of Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, they’re more readily available.”
Salge-Blake said coffee has an individualized effect because everyone has a different level of caffeine sensibility.
Although some students enjoy coffee for its taste, many students rely on caffeine to stay awake during their morning classes and cannot function until they have had their morning brew.
Salge-Blake said students use caffeinated beverages to replace the sleep they are not getting at night.
“While coffee masks tiredness and fatigue, your body needs sleep to recover and heal and take care of itself,” she said.
College of Arts and Sciences junior Jessica Arrott, who now frequents Einstein Bros. in the CAS building, said she has been drinking coffee daily since her freshman year.
“I started drinking it for the fun of it, more the sugar than anything else,” she said. “Then, you want the coffee more than the sugar, and find yourself drinking it every day.”
School of Education graduate student Stelios Kalogridakis said he averages four to five cups of coffee everyday.
“In Greece, the coffee phenomenon is huge,” he said. “It must be in my blood.”
College of General Studies freshman Hannah Herzog said she goes anywhere for her morning coffee and said she experiences withdrawal symptoms if she goes too long without caffeine.
“Some days, I make [coffee] myself, sometimes I go to Starbucks or other shops,” she said. “Basically, how bad I really want it depends on where I go.”
Though Herzog has no preference as to where she gets her coffee, others seek out shops that provide a quiet place to study or socialize.
“Obviously, you can get coffee anywhere, but having a comfortable atmosphere allows people to sit and do work or relax,” said Starbucks barista Doug Wartman.