With midterms approaching, many students grab a cup of coffee to help them stay awake.
“Caffeine is a stimulant, and students generally are looking for something to help them stay alert and awake to study,” Vanessa
Richard, registered dietitian at the Student Health Center, said in an e-mail.
All-nighters, a staple of college life, would be difficult to withstand without an extra caffeine boost.
Abby Rice, mass communication freshman, said coffee and caffeinated drinks are effective in keeping her awake to study.
But all that caffeine can be harmful to the body.
“Caffeine found in coffee is a stimulant,” Richard said. “Over-consuming caffeine can cause diarrhea, rapid heart rate, elevated blood pressure, disrupted sleep patterns, anxiety and withdrawal symptoms.”
Richard also said drinking coffee regularly could cause one’s arteries to harden and raise cholesterol and homocysteine levels.
While all of these symptoms may seem pretty harsh, coffee isn’t completely terrible.
“Coffee contains antioxidants, which may protect against heart disease, diabetes and reduce inflammation in the body,” Richard said. “It also increases alertness and increases metabolic rate.”
People that drink around six cups of coffee a day are 35 percent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, according to a 2005 Harvard University study.
Coffee shops near campus like Highland Coffees benefit from being located near a University. Clarke Cadzow, Highland Coffees owner, said he wouldn’t want have his shop anywhere else.
“I love being right off campus,” Cadzow said. “I chose this spot 21 years ago, and I knew that I wanted to be right off campus at the North Gates, nowhere else.”
Highland Coffees is a popular study area for students as exams approach.
“I would say [business] picks up a bit around midterms and finals,” Cadzow said. “The reality is you shouldn’t be that much busier. You need to be busy all the time in a coffee shop to pay bills.”
John Cannatella, Coffee Call owner, also sees an increase in traffic during exam week.
“Students come to study in the afternoon and night — maybe up to 50 people during exams,” Cannatella said.
Cannatella said students can comfortably cram for tests at Coffee Call.
“We’re pretty laid back around here,” he said. “We try to have a comfortable place for students to come do what they need to do.”
Cadzow also said being close to campus also has its drawbacks  — business drops between semesters.
“We start off with a pretty steady flow of students early in the semester with little bumps around exams,” Cadzow said. “But we definitely have dips during the breaks. Over the summer it’s slow compared to the school year.”
Tran Tran, mass communication freshman, works at the Starbucks in the Student Union and said she absolutely loves coffee.
“I drink coffee every day,” Tran said. “Sometimes several cups within a single day.”
She also said her habit definitely increases around exam time.
“It allows me to concentrate and have more energy,” Tran said.
Tran’s favorite coffee shop is a tie between Starbucks and CC’s Community Coffee House.
“I go to Starbucks for espresso drinks and CC’s for their brew or cold coffee,” Tran said.
Coffee shops are guaranteed to be located near college campuses, and neither students nor shop owners appear to be complaining.
“Coffee keeps us moving, and other than that, getting coffee is like a college culture,” Tran said. “You grab a coffee and sit down with a friend or read a book.”
Rice also thinks coffee is essential to college life.
“Without coffee shops on campus, a majority of college students wouldn’t be able to function in class,” Rice said. “Let alone actually make it there.”
Rice usually drinks around four to five cups a week, but she said her intake increases during exams. She also enjoys energy drinks and tea.
“Basically, put caffeine in a drink, and I’m there,” Rice said.
Cadzow said he enjoys the college lifestyle and doesn’t want to be anywhere else.
“I really like the college atmosphere,” Cadzow said. “I like the things people do near college campuses like reading and studying.”
Cannatella said students prefer to be around “what’s happening.”
“[Coffee drinking is] a social thing,” Cannatella said. “Students want to study and such, but still be around people.”