A college student without caffeine is like an athlete without a scooter- rare and strange. Since the first day of college, I have desperately awaited the moment I would understand the daily desires of my peers, living the L.A. lifestyle, and craving an iced vanilla latte. Yet, from adding flavored creamer to caramel drizzle, and even cold foam, coffee continues to be a non-essential commodity to my college life. If you too find coffee a bitter, rather lackluster drink, check out my favorite alternatives that will give you the energy to wake up at 7am everyday and stay on the quarter system study grind!
- MATCHA
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Coffee shops became my go-to place to study as soon as I discovered the magic of matcha. It is full of caffeine, with a beautiful green hue that photographs perfectly for an Instagram story. Matcha became a great way for me to finally blend into the coffee shop atmosphere. As matcha has become more mainstream, many coffee shops have begun offering customizations such as house-made syrups and foam tops galore. This allows me to have the same satisfaction as my iced vanilla latte besties. The key to finding the best matcha is to make sure it is ceremonial grade for the best quality and taste! Matcha is the drink that does it all- flavorful, aesthetic, and keeps my energy at an all-time high.
- ENERGY DRINKS
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To get through those endless all-nighters during finals, energy drinks can give you a refreshing boost instead of coffee. They are much sweeter than coffee and automatically leaves me in a perkier mood with that energy lift that I need to power through the night. These drinks are portable, easy to find, and are available in a variety of flavors and styles. My go-to energy drink is a Celsius Peach Vibe! These tiny cans are full of power that get me through some of the toughest days of college.
- ICED TEA
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Optimize the bang for your buck by switching to iced tea! This affordable coffee alternative can come in many forms: tea bags, bottled, and freshly brewed. Tea bags are quite small, making them ideal for prepping at home or on the go with ease, just add water! Iced tea is sold at the Ackerman Student Union, at the coffee bar or in on-the-go bottles in various flavors that can fit anyone’s flavor palette. My personal favorite is the Georgia Peach iced tea and Tejava’s bottled raspberry iced tea. If looking for a less expensive drink, iced tea is a light drink that leaves your wallet remaining heavy.
I will most likely never become the coffee lover I once dreamed of being, but my alternatives have kept me running smoothly and most importantly, awake to take on each new day. There are many more alternatives, with kombucha next on my list, but until then I’ll remain a typical college student who runs on caffeine, happy to know there are many tasty options to keep me going!