In a school where many students run on no sleep, many have methods to help them stay awake and focused during school hours. These methods include drinking coffee—whether it is a Venti from Starbucks or a large cup from Dunkin Donuts. Some students feel that they need caffeine to pull frequent all-nighters, finish never-ending outlines, and study for upcoming exams.
With that said, some students consider coffee a necessity in terms of helping them with schoolwork. Junior Aruna Budhram said, “I drink coffee about 4-5 times a week… If I know that I haven’t gotten enough sleep and need energy, I do feel like I am dependent on coffee for that extra energy.”
Yet, some students don’t necessarily believe that they are dependent on coffee but treat it as one eats dessert. Senior Anastacia Sachionie said, “I drink coffee twice a week… in my opinion, it is definitely a luxury, not a necessity… because I drink for the taste not for the caffeine [or] energy.”
Aruna emphasized the difference between the use of coffee for an energy boost rather than a daily essential, stating that, “I am not dependent on coffee to the point where I cannot live without it. It’s just something I rely on when I truly feel like I need to.” She added, “Coffee affects my life in general because while it gives me an extra boost of energy, I can also see a lot of negative aspects associated with [it].”
Junior Timothy Smith revealed that coffee doesn’t necessarily affect his school work, “aside from keeping [him] slightly more focused than [his] normal self.” Similarly, senior Dinesh Mulani stated, “Drinking coffee in a day usually speeds up how quickly I do things because I have more energy. The days I drink coffee, I feel more motivated to get everything done.”
Contrary to Aruna, junior Alexan Varelas explained, “I personally do not drink coffee at all because I feel I would become reliant on it [to] keep me functioning.” She explained that she “has family and friends, though, that [she] knows cannot operate at all without their daily coffee.”
Though the never-ending nights and baggy eyes may persist, Anastacia said that coffee “doesn’t positively [or] negatively affect [her] school work,” which many students agree upon.
