Is it really already finals week? Has time betrayed you once again? It’s hard enough already to study, but when you’re stressing the eff out because you haven’t studied at all for your big test, it’s basically impossible to concentrate. Might as well take the edge off the consequences of your procrastination with a few boozy cocktails. Of course, some drinks work better than others. Find out what your perfect cocktail is, based on what final you’re studying for:
Agriculture – Bloody Mary
Who knew vodka would taste so good with tomatoes? This cocktail is full of vegetables, so it’s only natural that it goes to those dedicating their time to learn about our Earth. But as unusual as it sounds, Bloody Marys are definitely one of the most well-known boozy drinks around. Get in the mood for your final by sipping on this as you frantically go over the scientific names of dozens of plants/animals/soils.
English – Daiquiri
The combination of rum, lime juice and simple syrup may appear pretty basic on paper, but you know it’s more complex than it seems. Like all other fields, literary analysis and writing have levels of difficulty and take practice. If you’re working into the night on a 10-page essay, we’d recommend writing with this by your side to get those creative juices flowing. After all, the daiquiri was Hemingway’s favorite drink. For the author’s own personal variation on the drink, mix together the usual rum and lime juice with grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur.
History – Old Fashioned
Haha, get it? Old-fashioned? The name isn’t the only thing that makes this a good drink before your history final. Old-fashioneds consist of both bourbon and bitters, making it slightly hard to swallow like much of our own global history. But the recipe also asks for simple syrup or sugar, which helps to even out the drink’s flavors and keep you slightly more optimistic about the fate of society.
Engineering – Two ingredient cocktail
With all the complicated equations and processes you have to study, you don’t need your cocktail to be super fancy. A good old two-ingredient drink will do the trick for you. But like the many different fields of engineering Cal Poly has to offer, there are a lot of two-ingredient drinks you can make. Whether you prefer a rum & Coke, a paloma or a gin & tonic, you like to keep things very simple since you know your final will be anything but that.
Architecture – Irish coffee
You’re pretty much used to staying up all night, so studying last minute for a final (or, more likely, finishing up a project due at 9 a.m.) doesn’t feel too strange. Still, it’s the end of the quarter and you need a special pick-me-up. An Irish coffee will help you to add those extra creative touches but also keep you awake as you work tirelessly on your model. Whether you use Irish whiskey or simply add Bailey’s to your dark roast isn’t an issue; you and your fellow classmates will all have the same bags under your eyes the next day, no matter what.
Business – Martini
Martinis are like the business suits of cocktails. They’re smooth and sophisticated no matter the context, making it the ideal drink for the business student. Even if you’re reviewing your notes in sweats and your rattiest t-shirt, you’ll feel like the CEO of last-minute cramming with this power drink.
Computer Science – Mai Tai
Who says computer nerds are boring? A slightly more complicated cocktail than most, the Mai Tai is just the right kind of eccentric to compliment your computer science notes. The citrus meets white rum and dark rum combo will keep you focused and sharp as you power away on the monitor; especially if you’re coding some intricate, complex program. Just try not to spill any on your keyboard the night before it’s due.
Philosophy – Mojito
No one’s really sure how lime and mint go so well together with white rum, but they just do. Just like no one’s really comfortable with Nietzsche or Sartre, but they continue to study them anyways. If you have a philosophy exam coming up, consider this cool drink while you ponder the nihilistic tendencies of humanity…and whether or not passing this test will actually mean anything in the long-run.
Chemistry – Adios Motherf***er
The AMF has at least four different kinds of hard alcohol in it, which is especially fitting if you’re studying alcohol structures in O-Chem. Learn by doing, right? Honestly though, if you put off studying for your chem final until the night before, you might as well indulge in one or two of these. It’s not like you’ll remember anything during the test anyways.
Of course, the real way to ace your finals is to not procrastinate, get a good night’s sleep and eat a proper breakfast the morning of. But it’s nice to pretend alcohol will actually help us pass our classes, right? Happy studying, collegiettes!