If you’re anything like me, you’ve had more than one instance of either forgetting something was due or simply choosing to ignore it until the day before it was due (the latter is most often the case for me). Again, if you’re like me, it makes no difference whether this particular assignment is a worksheet that will take ten minutes or a ten page paper that will take hours; in either case, you may be desperately in need of a pick me up, and that’s where coffee comes in.
I realize I’m not providing any sort of revelation here, because many people know that coffee can provide some much-needed energy in a small, delicious package. But what you may not know is that there are other benefits of coffee, like its effects on memory and learning, or its stimulation of social behavior.
Besides the obvious awakening power of coffee (the reason for which so many of us are not truly ourselves until after 11:00 a.m. and three cups), the caffeine in coffee may also be responsible for improved short-term memory, increasing the ability to learn, and even treating ADHD. These benefits alone are of substantial value to anyone attending school or attempting to study – who wouldn’t want improved memory and better learning abilities?
If that’s not enough, coffee itself (not the caffeine, which you can also get in soda/pop or tea) may also be responsible for a reduced risk of Type II Diabetes in avid drinkers, as well as reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
So there appear to be numerous medical and academic benefits to consuming coffee, but is there more? Most definitely.
Coffee provides a rich atmosphere for socialization, whether it be at a major chain like Starbucks or Caribou, or a smaller, local venue. At any given time during a day, coffeehouses like these are likely to be filled with patrons performing a variety of personal activities, from working to conversing to reading to simply calmly enjoying a latte or Americano.
Research also shows that taking breaks while studying can improve several aspects of the process, including attention span, and what better way to double dip on improving your ability to study than to both take a break and enjoy a cup of coffee at a coffeehouse and get in some social time? I have personally found the combination to be a particularly useful tool on those long nights I mentioned above – although more often than not, it takes more than one cup.
So if you’re feeling a little tired, need some additional attention-span assistance, or simply want an excuse to socialize, coffee can be the answer. And it may be a lot easier to find than the ones for that exam tomorrow – you know, the one you’ve been putting off studying for?
