Twenty people are waiting in line as twenty more surround the area where drinks are given out. The room is overcrowded, people are yelling over each other, students are grumbling that they’ve been waiting for twenty-five minutes, baristas are sweating yet keeping an amazing amount of composure as they deal with that guy who needs his drink right now. People bump into each other uncomfortably, the condiments station is being blocked by hordes of students, and you’re suddenly wondering why you’ve been cursed with a caffeine addiction.
If you love coffee, you know this situation well. But there are ways to avoid the chaos that leaves you sprinting away from the madness, late to class, with coffee in tow.
1. Account for the time you need
I’m the first person to admit that I love sleeping in as much as I can. But if you need your fix of caffeine in order to function for your first class, and you have a 9:40am, don’t go to Starbucks at 9:30. You’ll be late both because of your own timing and because of the massive lines. And most importantly, don’t give the employees a hard time for making you late. You know it can take twenty or thirty minutes to get your drink during rush hour; they’re making the drinks as fast as they can.
2. Go in person rather than using Tapingo
Tapingo is great for when you’re running around between classes and can’t wait in the line, but it’s doing more harm to you than good in this situation. Baristas prioritize the orders that are made in person over those made online, since they can end up just sitting on the counter for hours. Your order is more likely to be done in a timely manner, and it’s worth not standing next to the other Tapingo-users in a giant herd for twenty minutes.
3. Go before rush hour
If you have the willpower to wake up early enough, go before the peak times (usually the twenty minutes before and after a class period). For example, if you have a 9:40am, do not go at 9:20. Go at 9 or even 9:10. That way, you’ve missed the rush and have actually given yourself more time before class. This ties hand in hand with allowing yourself time to wait. I can never wake up very early, so I do this by going to Starbucks for my breakfast before I do my makeup and pack my bag for class. Granted, I live on campus, and it’s a one-minute walk from my dorm to Wilson Commons. If you can’t do that, then consider getting there early, and chilling in one of the lounges and getting ahead on your homework before class. It’s easier to enjoy your coffee when you get to slow down and enjoy it before class.
4. Go to Connections
The Connections Café has good coffee at a similar price. The baked items are amazing (my personal favorite is the banana chocolate chip muffin) and the line is much shorter. I actually highly suggest using Tapingo instead of waiting in line there, since there is rarely anyone who thinks to order it ahead of time. It’s also not that far from Starbucks, and may even be more convenient for people who live in Phase or Sue B., as it’s a bit closer to those buildings than Starbucks is.
5. Order a hot, black coffee
Of course you’re going to have to wait a long time for your drink when the baristas are making fifteen frapuccinos in a row. Even if you order something simpler, like an iced coffee, it gets sent behind all the other orders, and you’ll be waiting a while. If you order a black coffee (with room for cream and sugar if you can’t take it black) then your drink is instantly poured and given to you, within a minute or two. This saves you a lot of time, since you’re not waiting behind ten other orders.
All in all, going ahead of time and even getting your caffeine fix from other locations are probably your best move. And if you ever get annoyed at the time it takes to get your order or the fact that you have to suffer through being in this chaotic environment, just remember that the employees have it worse. Be patient and respectful!