My Friend

Coffee is the one that I can always count on. It's there for me when I am gearing up for a late and sleepless night, when I need to be awake and alert early in the morning or just for comfort. Whether hot, cold or blended, I always look forward to enjoying at least a great cup of coffee each day (sometimes more…) Being surrounded by Dunkin Donuts, Saxby’s, Starbucks and a Keurig at home, my friendship with coffee has only grown since I have come to school. Not only have these places become my favorites to grab some coffee, they too have been locations where I do a lot of my studying for school, reading a good book or spending sometime catching up with some awesome friends of mine. No matter the time of day, especially at school in Philadelphia, I know where to find the perfect cup of caffeine.

My Enemy

On average, a cup of coffee from each of these places includes:

• -Starbucks: Grande Iced Vanilla Coffee with Sugar
  • Cost: $2.65
  • 110 Calories
  • 23g of sugar
  • 125mg of caffeine
• -Dunkin Donuts: Medium Iced Vanilla Coffee with Sugar
  • Cost: $2.39
  • 170 Calories
  • 36g of sugar
  • 131mg of caffeine
• -Saxby’s: Medium Iced Vanilla Coffee with Sugar
  • Cost: $2.75
  • 165 Calories
  • 39g of sugar
  • 134 mg of caffeine

Taking the information above and comparing it to average daily intake of calories, sugar and caffeine, on a 2400 calorie scale, a cup of coffee takes up about 16% of your daily calorie intake. On an average of 29g of sugar a day, most of the coffee mention above exceed that intake. As for the caffeine, the average is 400mg each day. A cup of coffee mentioned above would take up about 33% of that average allowing for no more than 3 cups of coffee a day.

Looking back in the year of 2016, with averaging the purchase of 2 medium iced coffees a day during the week when at school (8 months of the year) it can be concluded that I spent nearly $414 last school year just on coffee, consumed 24,000 calories and in took 21,000mg of caffeine.

Over the last 2 years of being at school, my addiction for coffee and caffeine has shot through the roof. It has been something that I have become dependent on, that has taken a lot of my money, and something that has brought down nutrition found within my body. Compared to before when I used to look forward and enjoy a cup of coffee every once in a while, by body has become highly dependent on it. Going a day without coffee for me results in major headaches and withdrawal symptoms. Taking the time to speak with my own Physician about it, I have created ways to weave off of the caffeine intake. This includes setting goals on how much coffee you want to reduce to a day, trying half and half (half caffeinated/half decaf) and telling somebody you trust to keep yourself accountable!

My Career

Coming back to school this year, getting a job was on my agenda. As I was set to become a waiter, at the very last minute, I was hired at the Barnes and Noble University Bookstore which included an attached Starbucks. While my first few weeks were spent working strictly in the bookstore, I was eventually trained to work as a barista. Now, 95% of my time at work is spent working in the café! I never thought I would learn so much about coffee and what it takes to make a final product of a beverage until you are the one behind the counter making it. Do you know the main difference between a latè and Cappuccino? Which one has more caffeine... a 16oz of brewed coffee or a shot of espresso? These questions and answers were unclear to me until I began my career with Barnes and Nobles & Starbucks. Besides the knowledge I have gained about coffee being a barista, I have come across some really awesome and down to earth employees and customers. I could not have asked for a better career here at school!