One of my favorite places on campus is Starbucks and luckily, Drexel has two. I mostly stop by the one in LeBow because it is closer to my classrooms and because they accept dining dollars. But I will occasionally splurge on treats at the Starbucks in the Summit. My usual order at the café is either an unsweetened iced green tea or a caramel iced coffee, but no matter what it is, I need to purchase a drink every day. I wondered what would happen if I stopped my Starbucks runs for a week and tried other beverages for once. Here is what went down.
Monday
Thank the heavens because my design teacher decided to cancel our 9 a.m. class. I slept in until about 10:30 a.m., took a nice shower and plopped onto my bed to study for my impending math exam at 1 p.m. On my way to my classroom, I passed Starbucks and looked at the long line from outside and found myself a little disappointed that I couldn’t pick up an ice cold green tea to sip on during my test. However, I did realize that I had a bottle of (free) water in my tote bag and went on with my day. I downed more water throughout the day and had dinner at the Urban Eatery later that night accompanied by a cup of Cherry Coke.
Tuesday
I had gotten very little sleep on Monday night because I was bombarded with too much homework and felt rushed to finish it all. I managed to sneak in three hours of sleep, but I woke up with sharp pains in my lower body and walked to Penn Medicine. I was advised to hydrate with water, but while I was laying in my hospital bed, I was dreaming of a chilled caramel iced coffee and craved a sweet drink. I was discharged in the afternoon and walked back to campus with the sun’s rays shining on me. It was 80 degrees and I figured it would be best to pack another water bottle in my bag while I searched for a place to do homework outside. One of my favorite study spots is the stone steps by the academic quad, but lo and behold, I was perched right in front of Starbucks. I jealously watched students as they walked out of LeBow with Frappuccinos in hand. I needed a sugar fix so I ran to the Urban Eatery again for another Cherry Coke.
Wednesday
I had design this morning and I usually walk into class with an iced green tea, but not today. I was prepared with another water bottle in my bag. The air was dry because the temperature dropped at least 35 degrees, so I was constantly hydrating. As much as I know that water is good for your body, my taste buds were not having it. I needed a sweet-tasting beverage. My friends invited me to grab Starbucks, but I declined and explained my experiment. On the bright side, I did like how I wasn’t spending cash or dining dollars since I am pretty low on both.
Thursday
I like to walk into English class with a nice venti iced green tea because when I find myself zoning out due to my professor’s uninteresting lecture, I sip to pass the time. I didn’t have the tea to distract me, so I actually listened in class this week. Another distraction that was eliminated was the frequent need to use the bathroom! Another one of my friends asked if I could join them at Starbucks and I gladly accepted. I resisted the temptation to buy something and was proud of myself. It was better for my wallet and probably for my health.
Friday
I noticed that I wasn’t craving Starbucks anymore and that I was drinking a variety of different beverages from several other places. Before the experiment, I felt the constant need to stop by my beloved coffee haven every day to purchase a drink (I also thought I looked cool walking around campus with a Starbucks cup in hand), but I started to realize that I didn’t need a pricey beverage with each class that I went to. I was mostly fine with just a bottle of water.
Saturday
I went for a morning stroll to CVS and managed to dodge the many spectators and athletes in Philadelphia for the Penn Relays. On my way there, I passed two Starbucks stores and could smell the coffee in the air. I was a little jealous of the customers who got to taste their daily cup o’ joe because I was so coffee-deprived, but I kept on walking. It was a little hard, but I decided to rely on my trusty water. Later during dinner, I needed some more sugar, so I went for my usual Cherry Coke.
Sunday
We had a recruitment workshop at my sorority house in the morning and many girls entered with cups of coffee. I realized how badly I needed the caffeine and was dying to go to Starbucks. Luckily, I was prepared and packed – you guessed it – some good old water. Later on, when I was at the Urban Eatery, I got a bagel and decided to drink some milk even though I despise it so much. I was so happy that today was the last day of the experiment because soon I would finally allow myself to step into a Starbucks guilt-free.
By skipping out on a week of Starbucks runs, I was able to drink more water and my body definitely thanked me for it. My skin got a little clearer and I felt detoxified. Like I mentioned before, I kept my budget in tact and even tried drinking a variety of new beverages throughout the week. When you go a while without something that you love, you learn to appreciate it more. As a college student, I am definitely thankful for on-campus Starbucks.