With the semester ending in 10 days, University students can be found in every nook and cranny of campus poring over lecture notes and frantically writing out equations in preparation for final exams. Knowing they have long days and nights of cramming ahead of them, coffee is many students' beverage of choice. Coffee shops located near and on campus attract students seeking a study place. Diane Sasser, human ecology professor, said studying at CC's Community Coffee House or Starbucks may help students concentrate. "One of the not so obvious reasons to go to a java house to study is to take advantage of the white noise," Sasser said. "For many people, the flurry of activity, the sounds of the espresso machine hissing and the conversations all tend to blend together to create a kind of sound that is easier to tune out than your phone ringing intermittently, your roommate talking to you, et cetera." Brittany Crow, manager of both PJ's Coffee locations on campus, said students used PJ's for their caffeine and a place to study. Chelsea Pitallo, undecided freshman, said she often visits PJ's or the Middleton Library to study and have a coffee, usually a mocha Frappuccino. "I think it helps me study, but I'm not sure if that's just a mental thing," Pitallo said. Vanessa Richard, registered dietitian at the Student Heath Center, said that while it may not aid in retentive abilities, caffeine will allow a person to stay awake for up to four hours longer than usual. Richard said that too much caffeine, however, can cause increased or abnormal heart rate, anxiety, insomnia, tremors and gastrointestinal problems. Too much caffeine is 250 to 500 mg or more than two cups of coffee. Sasser said even if students limit their caffeine intake, they may still see negative health effects. "Coffee doesn't have that [many calories], but if you get a coffee drink like a Mochasippi or a Frappuccino, that has a lot," said Lexie Van Nostrand, public relations junior. Speciality coffee drinks, such as mochas, Frappuccinos and Granitas contain more calories than ordinary medium blend coffee. A 12-ounce peppermint mocha from CC's has 370 calories, while a 12-ounce mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks has 380 calories and a 12-ounce Granita coffee from PJ's contains 209 calories. Chris Dibenedetto, international studies sophomore, said he didn't care about calories when drinking coffee.j Pitallo said if she knew how many calories were in her mocha Frappuccino she would drink the beverage less frequently. Crow said by ordering skim or soy milk and choosing not to have whip cream people can limit their empty calorie intake. "You have to ask for it, though," Crow said. Sasser said increased intake of caffeinated beverages may be detrimental to a student's ability to recall exam material. "Proper nutrition, adequate amounts of sleep, drinking plenty of water and advance planning are much more conducive to memory retention and success on testing," Sasser said.
---- Contact Ashley Lopez at alopez@lsureveille.com
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