I hate coffee, so stop asking me to try it
Before you ask: yes, I do get tired
It’s pretty much a fact that college students are addicted to coffee, and it’s no mystery why. With all the late nights we spend studying, the idea of something to help you stay energized while cranking out that last page of your paper or memorizing the last definition for your exam is very appealing. More importantly, when you wake up in the morning exhausted from far too few hours of sleep, a little caffeine can go a long way.
Or so I’ve heard. While my friends are chugging back lattes and expressos, I’m usually sipping on something more mild. The reason I don’t drink coffee isn’t because I have some sort of anti-caffeine vendetta, but because I simply find the taste to be too bitter.
I’ve tried a variety of coffee concoctions over the years, but none of them have ever agreed with me. You’re probably wondering how I survive. After a late night, I have to force myself to get up in the morning and carry on. It’s sometimes unpleasant, but could end up even more unpleasant if I were to regularly drink something I didn’t like. In some ways, not drinking coffee might benefit me, because it motivates me to get a little more sleep than your average college student in order to offset my caffeine deficit.
As for what I drink in place of coffee, it’s mostly water. My middle school music teacher once told me the best way to stay awake when you’re tired is by drinking water, so I’ve followed his advice religiously. Sure, I’ve never bothered to confirm this as a scientific fact, but hey, it’s worked so far. I also enjoy the occasional hot chocolate or juice. And, every once in a while, if my energy levels are really running on empty, I’ll have a caffeinated soda. Maybe unsurprisingly, I don’t really like the taste of soda either, but I still prefer it to coffee.
A small sample of my extensive water bottle collection
Not drinking coffee on campus doesn’t make me feel excluded in any way, but there’s a certain “coffee culture” on campus that I don’t completely understand. I asked some of my friends if they thought most students drank coffee A) in the mornings to help them wake up B) at night when they need to stay awake or C) any other time of day, such as the afternoon, when they are feeling tired. They told me that for the most part, they drank their coffee in the morning, but occasionally at various other times of the day depending on how tired they were.
Though I may not personally like drinking coffee, I understand the need for it, because even if the Ugli is open for 24 hours a day, we are not meant to be awake for all of them.