After a long night of partying, you wake up in the morning with that good old headache. You reach for a bottle of water and some Advil. It feels impossible to get your day started. However, as soon as you get your cup of coffee, it feel as if you can conquer the world. Now that’s the power of coffee. Besides being the perfect cure to a hangover, coffee serves many other purposes—especially to a college student.

At the University of Florida, there is some type of coffee shop in almost EVERY library. Two of the main libraries have a Starbucks and Newell has an Au Bon Pain. This quick access to coffee is a necessity when prepping for tests. Not only do these businesses help students gain an energy burst, but they also have huge economic success. The line at Starbucks can be out the door and some people even preorder on their phone. You might have to leave an extra 20 minutes before class in order to get a cup of coffee. This is a testament to the hundreds of transactions that take place every day.

Not only is coffee a useful study tool, but it is also a means for being social. Many people choose to meet up for group projects or just to get to know each other at coffee shops. The atmosphere provides a comfortable setting to either be productive or relax. Coffee shops have moved beyond their initial purpose of just serving coffee and have become more of a lounge for people to gather. The evolution of coffee from a simple drink to its own environment proves the power of coffee.

Coffee has become more and more accessible every day. Not only do people have coffee pots at their homes, but they now have machines like the Keurig. As a college student, this machine is key—I have one in my dorm. Now, students do not have to spend the ridiculously high prices of coffee at Starbucks and can drink it in the comfort of their own room. This tool of having your own coffee machine is definitely a college hack.

Due to the caffeinated nature of coffee, many parents regard the drink as one for older kids (college students). However, due to the evolution of coffee as a more casual, social drink, younger kids are beginning to drink it. In fact, if you go to a Starbucks near a high school, you are bound to find many younger kids gaining that energy buzz. This just proves how powerful coffee is on all ages and demographics.

Next time you are craving that extra boost of energy, make sure to think about how you got to that point. Do you need coffee to help you study? Are you meeting up with friends in a coffee shop? Is the coffee your making in your room? The act of drinking coffee has become so commonplace and casual that sometimes we overlook how coffee evolved into the drink we know it to be today. Never forget the power of coffee!