Behind Every Motivated Person is a Cup of Coffee

It’s that time of year again… Midterms. The smell of coffee fills the campus and the lines for Starbucks are longer than the lines at Disneyland, as students attempt to suppress their severe sleep deprivation.Every essay, project, and test that has been put off all quarter is now suddenly due, making the idea of the famous college all-nighter seems increasingly necessary.

I will be first to admit that coffee is a great thing for perfectionists and procrastinators alike, but the time it takes and the cost of any coffee shop is hard to justify. For those of us that don’t want to waste any of our precious cramming time waiting for coffee, becoming your own barista is the best way to go! There are three super easy ways to make a delicious cup of Jo in the comfort of your own room!

1. The Keurig

While the actual machine may be a little expensive ($99.95), it will actually save you money and a trip to Starbucks in the morning. The “K-cups” come in a ton of different flavors and strength allowing you to get exactly what you want in a single cup of coffee in less than 2 minutes.

The Keurig single serving coffee maker. Photo by Carly Cady

The Ultimate College Grocery List

Lately, I have found myself really missing one thing about home… My pantry. Looking back I realized how often I took advantage of the fact that I constantly had unlimited access to whatever I was craving. Seriously, it was the Narnia of pantries. However, it is apparent that this magic was restricted to my house because the food supply I have at school pales in comparison.

Let’s face it; no matter how good your dining hall food may be it is essential to have food in your dorm. Whether it be that it’s way to hard to get yourself out of bed to walk all the way to the cafeteria, or you just really need some midnight munchies, it’s convenient to have something more than a pack of Skittles and some questionable milk in your fridge.

Now, the problem is: What to buy? “The most popular foods that college students buy are frozen dinners, cereal, and chips… and beer,” said Jessica Majors, manager of Albertson’s in San Luis Obispo. These foods may be good choices for conveniency (and parties) but they are not necessarily the healthiest picks. Some students have somewhat of an idea of what to buy, “I always have Easy Mac, peanut butter, bread, and popcorn in my room,” said Janelle Coccimiglio, a freshman at Cal Poly. However, many others don’t have the slightest idea of what they should have in their room, “I usually have some peanut butter, and that’s about it,” said Daniel Sweeny, freshman at Cal Poly. So, here’s a list to give you an idea of what types of food you may want to stock your room with.