Are you denying the coffee addict in you?
I don't remember what my first tip-off was. Perhaps it was when I chose coffee-flavored hard candies over fruit flavoured candies. Or was it when I downed the mocha chip ice cream instead of my usual mint-chocolate chip? Perhaps it was when I started salivating every time I drove by an unaffordable-on-a-student-budget Starbucks shop. Actually, I must have clued in when I started having headaches if I hadn't had a cup-o-joe by noon.
So, it's true. I am addicted.
I always said that I just drank coffee for the 'warmth' and 'flavor' of it. It was the experience of coffee I said I kept returning too, not the black liquid itself. You know the scene: snuggling into a comfy coffee-shop seat with a large, foaming cup of coffee in hand. It's always over coffee you talk to friends about life, love, philosophy and politics. Sigh. A day in the life of a coffee-lover. Okay, by addicted, I don't mean obsessed. But is enjoying the experience of a cup of coffee obsessed? Nah. There are worse things in life.
But I would argue, for all the students who do not drink coffee, and quite proudly so - you are missing part of the student life. Perhaps I'm not addicted to it, but 'enhanced' by it. Let me explain.
Here are 10 reasons why I enjoy my java that will convert any coffee-hater into a coffee-addict that each one of you actually desires to become. I have numerous arguments to appeal to different kinds of students and individuals out there. (And no, I do not, and have never worked at a coffee shop. This is not some sort of marketing ploy! I write this just for the personal satisfaction of seeing some of the adamant coffee-haters become coffee-lovers out there).
1. To all students: Alcohol makes you silly.
Drugs make you out of it. Both are expensive. But coffee, the cheaper alternative, makes you more aware. Heightened senses means better listening skills in class, more open eyes to see the board, a greater awareness of falling objects, and just general heightened senses.
2. To all students looking for a new university personality and identity:
Out here on the west coast, coffee drinking is an art. Those who drink coffee come across as cultured. Downtown Vancouver you see it all over: unique coffee personalities. I am convinced that these personalities began in university and were perfected with the addition of coffee:
Business and economics students
The business associate coffee drinkers: You see these personalities walking beside the high rise buildings with their newspaper, briefcase, and business attire. If you can't drink coffee after university, how will you ever make it in the business world? Meetings, clients, proposals, and three year plans all have one thing in common: coffee.
Arts students
The artsy coffee drinkers: These are the ones who are connoisseurs. Funky eye-glasses and artistically clashing clothing mark this individual. In theatres at intermission, in parks, and painting outside, they have coffee in their hands to complete their image.
Fashion-conscious-female
The modern woman coffee drinkers: High class fashion, high heeled shoes, faux-fur, and a cup of coffee. You see these women sitting in coffee shops chatting with friends and 'sipping.' They carry coffee in one hand and shopping bags in another while wearing a suit. They are the epitome of 'chic' and are established working women.
