Caffeine Addiction

Hi, my name is Amanda (Hi, Amanda!), and I have a problem…

Friends, it’s time to discuss a palpable problem. It’s one that directly affects me, about a bajillion other college students, and will likely be haunting you shortly. Yes, I’m talking about addiction, caffeine addiction.

In college you’ll be exposed to a lot of things. Alcohol, cigarettes, sex, drugs; I’m not going to lie to you, they’re going to be there no matter where you choose to go to college. But the consequences of the above are easily recognizable, and it’s pretty easy to say no if you make up your mind to avoid them. Other problematic behaviors are not so obvious, though, and often it will completely escape you that you have succumbed to them until you’re lying in bed at 3am wondering why on earth you still can’t get to sleep.

Ah, caffeine addiction. It lurks in dark dorm halls and 24 hour study spaces, in the library and in classrooms all across campus. College students face an incredibly heavy workload in addiction to multiple extra-curriculars and perhaps even an off-campus job. Naturally, if we care about our academic performance and find ourselves strapped for time to complete everything, the first thing to go as a priority is sleep (which is bad, bad, bad!). To compensate, some students’ blood flows with Diet Coke (gotta watch those calories), energy drinks, coffee, or, my personal vice, tea.

My "tea corner" in my kitchen.

Now, I genuinely enjoy the experience of a nice cup of tea—the smell of the leaves, how the green/yellow color slowly overtakes the clear water, the bitter bite of the first sip. I love it. But sometimes, especially during a rough week where assignments are never ending, I rely on it, and this is a very bad thing. I find myself with the classic caffeine headache if I’ve gone too long without it. I find myself unable to get to sleep no matter how late it already is. If I only have time to either make tea or eat in the morning, I’ll almost always choose the tea.

It’s hard to break the habit once you’ve started, because it fulfills its purpose beautifully. I always get my work done, but at the expense of sleep and sometimes even health. It’s not worth it, so just consider this a warning for when you begin your collegiate experience. Don’t even let it start! Order decaf!