My School Week Without Coffee

Emily Van Eerd Student Contributor, Western University

Western Contributor Student Contributor, Western University

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Western chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Because I could never handle a full seven day week. I’m only human.

DAY ONE: Monday January 9th

Today was day one. I actually didn’t feel too bad about going without coffee for the day—but that isn’t because I’m strong willed or anything, its because I knew that after my 9:30-11:30 shift I would be able to be human garbage for the entire day because I have no classes on Mondays. So I traded my regular coffee from Starbucks on these morning shifts for a hot peach tea—which was actually very good. Would order again… after a coffee. So you bet your bottom dollar I got home at 12:30 and napped until 6:00pm. I can’t say I’m proud, but I’m absolutely well-rested.

I take back what I said. I’m pretty proud.

DAY TWO: Tuesday January 10th

Please let me die. Everything I said yesterday about not feeling that bad about not having coffee has been eradicated. I woke up with an extremely sore throat and a stuffed up nose, so it figures I get sick the one week I can’t have liquid happiness. I normally grab a coffee before my 10:30 Social Theory class, and I can tell you I did not pay attention to a single word during that lecture. By 1:30 (when I’m done class for the day), I had a migraine and was absolutely miserable. I suppose it could be due to being sick, but mostly I blame this article. Today can also be summed up by a phone conversation between myself and my best friend.

Speaking of pasta bar, that is another desperate addiction of mine. If you go to Western and you haven’t had pasta bar—you don’t actually go here.

DAY THREE: Wednesday January 11th

I just don’t think humans were meant for this. There’s a reason coffee exists in this big beautiful world and it’s because people like me need it. Today I woke up to not one, but TWO snapchat stories of people drinking coffee looking all cute in the morning. Let’s be clear about two things: not only am I already upset at 11am about not having coffee, but now I am also upset that those people look amazing at 11am with makeup and hair done, when I have every intention of going to campus today in day old sweatpants and wet hair. Later on I grabbed a peach green tea lemonade (cold) from Starbucks to aid myself, and it was also really good. I find that I crave just holding a hot drink, which is so strange. I’m a lot thirstier, however, for cold drinks. My body seems to want liquid so much more over the last few days.

I would also like to personally curse every Western student in my classes enjoying the freedom of having coffee during class. I will be with you all soon.

DAY FOUR: Thursday January 12th

Today has not been bad at all! I spent my entire morning lecture not taking notes and writing Her Campus articles instead, since I maintain a strict “garbage student” personality. I’m finding that the more days I don’t have coffee, the later in the day it hits me that I really want one. This non-coffee week has really turned into a sampling week of other alternative drinks, and today’s sample is white hot chocolate from Tim Hortons. It felt incredibly good to drink something hot and somewhat similar to coffee. I definitely felt a little irritable by 2pm. Conversations I overheard on campus:

University Educated Female: “My brother does my taxes. I don’t even know how I have taxes.”

Her Friend: “Oh my god, he is such an adult.”

DAY FIVE: Friday January 13th

Okay I cracked. Kind of. I had a latte around 3pm because I got a great job offer and I was excited. Life is be enjoyed and so is caffeine, #SorryNotSorry. I was so on top of work tonight. I could feel the caffeine and I was probably the friendliest customer service worker that ever did live, because I was also the happiest. It wasn’t REALLY coffee but it was close enough to trick my body into thinking we were back in business.

MY OVERALL EXPERIENCE, A WEEK LATER:

It’s been a week since I returned from the depths of decaffeinated hell, and I feel so good about it. I have really enjoyed drinking coffee again—although I have experienced some strange things since the beginning. I absolutely crave other things much more than I crave coffee on a regular basis. The teas that I tried, the extra water I drank, and all of the things I supplemented for coffee are the things that I find myself sometimes wanting more than coffee now. I have gone from having two a day, to one a day with something else later on, and I think it has done me some good. I feel a lot less anxious and a little more relaxed during the day, and more alert. Overall, I would never do this torture again. But, I suppose some good did come out of it.