It’s crunch time. Cal State Long Beach students are preparing for finals and using a variety of methods to get past the final stretch this semester.
A popular caffeine supplement called “Study Buddy” is a hot commodity this time of the semester. Each serving is the equivalent of one large cup of coffee. According to caffeineinformer.com, a two-capsule serving of Study Buddy supplies 80mg of caffeine. The pills contain a blend of vitamins and herbs in order to promote concentration and brain function. The Beach Hut on upper campus is selling a lot of these caffeine pills, English literature graduate and Beach Hut supervisor Breanna Castro said.
“We’re also selling a lot of Red Bulls and 5-Hour Energy drinks this time of year,” Castro said.
A classic form of caffeine, coffee is a typical go-to for many CSULB students. Many of the holiday drinks at the Starbucks in the campus library, like the Caramel Brulee and Chestnut Praline-flavored beverages, are common orders, Starbucks employee and senior creative writing major Sarah Davis said.
“One student came in the other day and ordered five shots of espresso in his coffee,” Davis said. She said she sees a lot of students coming to Starbucks looking very tired.
The University Library Starbucks is offering free coffee after hours, courtesy of the 49er Shops and University Library.
“It [runs] out every night,” librarian Tiffini Travis said. “The coffee goes pretty fast.”
Freshman math major Isaias Hernandez works at an off-campus Starbucks in Garden Grove. He said that he sees many college students coming in to order strong lattes.
“I think it’s important to just get more sleep during finals,” Hernandez said. “But I will admit, I do like drinking those hot white mochas with pumpkin spices to relax me when I’m studying.”
Freshman international studies major Michelle Bravo said she is reaching for herbal stress relievers as of late.
“I’m drinking more tea this time of the semester,” Bravo said. “It relaxes me for sure.”
Bravo said she likes drinking chamomile tea with a little bit of honey. She said that she has seen people going crazy over finals.
“I’ve seen students finish a coffee and immediately get back in line to order another one,” Bravo said.