Somewhere within my first month at CLU, I had a shocking realization: coffee is needed even more in college than it is in high school. That shouldn’t have been shocking, since the workload is harder and the nights are later, but it still came as a bit of a surprise since I had already been a bit excessive on the caffeinated drinks train. What was a lot less of a shock was that, naturally, most of those drinks were coming from Starbucks, which was conveniently located in the middle of campus.
My friends Kaitlyn, Hayley and I began spending so much on Starbucks that we began to wonder what would happen if we suddenly stopped drinking it. For a few days? A week? A month? Yes, for a month. As you can read on below, here’s what we learned in the month we decided to give up Starbucks:
The thought behind the idea: We would get Starbucks even when we weren’t hungry or thirsty. Maybe it was a want instead of a need? Just a nice comfort in a stressful, often frightening world. You can always depend on Starbucks. So what would happen if we stopped depending on it?
Week 1: Midterms week. Hayley succumbed to pressure and got Starbucks almost instantly due to the stress. We decided ordering food from Starbucks was okay (which we should have recognized as the start of our downfall). On a rather overwhelming night of studying, we all decided to get the bottled Starbucks’ coffees from a vending machine in the Student Union. Since we mostly study and hang out in the campus Starbucks between classes, it tempted us at every turn. But mostly, we made it through the week.
Week 2: The start of occasional cheating. How many times had Hayley had Starbucks by this point? Who knew. Kaitlyn and I were trying to stay strong, but our resolve was already weakening. Why weren’t we letting ourselves indulge in the comfort of a nice, warm drink again? It was hard to be brave during the busiest time of the semester, when Starbucks is there for you through the blood and tears that come with constant papers, late night geology study sessions, and early morning group presentation practices. We each cheated several times during the course of the week.
Week 3: Where was our strength? Why was it so hard to say no to Starbucks? At one point, I told Kaitlyn I needed Starbucks, and she just said “do it” instead of saying “no” like she would have in week one. But the problem is, I still didn’t need it. I know I didn’t need it. I just wanted it. But knowing that was not enough for me not to buy it. Although occasionally we still didn’t drink Starbucks, throughout the week we continued cheating and excusing it more and more.
Week 4: Our strength was officially gone. We gave up. Starbucks won its war against three college students who should be putting their money towards student loans rather than chai tea lattes.
The lesson learned: Although it was too hard to completely resist Starbucks, we did learn several things over the course of the month. Be sure to keep these in mind if you’re ever trying to save money on Starbucks or stop yourself from constantly indulging in it:
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Determine if you want coffee or if you just want Starbucks. Other brand coffee drinks (whether you make it yourself or get it from the nearest 7/11) are typically a lot cheaper than the more complex Starbucks’ orders.
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It’s a lot easier to not get Starbucks if you’re not in Starbucks. As soon as you’re in there, your internal alarms start going off and not getting a Starbucks becomes highly improbable.
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Delete your Tapingo so easy cheating becomes less easy. The early morning lines can help scare you off.
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If you do want Starbucks, think about why you want it. If you have a test next period, a paper to spend hours working on, or it’s just a nice rainy day and you’re really craving it, then get your Starbucks. If you can find something to justify it, then you’re in the clear.
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Who are we kidding? Drink your Starbucks. It’s a sure way to feel good even when you question why you ever decided to take two lab classes in the same semester.