As finals approach, Tech students are filling up not only the library, but also the on-campus coffee shops.
“The cofee sales at Starbucks go up more than 10 percent every year when finals week arrives,” Janetta Hunter, Starbucks manager, said. “This is not random. It’s because of finals week.”
Hunter said there are a few drinks that seem to be particularly popular.
“We sell a lot of the mochas which is caramel, white mocha coffee drink and chai tea latte,” Hunter said
She said there is a bigger demand for caffeine.
“I usually don’t drink coffee here at Starbucks,” Abdulmajeed Alotaibi, a senior in civil engineering said. “I brew my own, but every semester during finals week I always stand in the line to get my coffee from Starbucks every morning till the library closes. I drink more than five to six cups every day until finals are over.”
Whitney Norrod, sociology major, said, “I’ll drink energy drinks more during finals week, or leading up to finals, than I normally do.”
Emily Brunett, an employee at Au Bon Pain, said she considered the possibility that some students would prefer energy drinks over coffee. She said she thinks they have special-ordered a shipment of energy drinks to the campus cafes for finals.
While there is no doubt that sales increase during finals week, Hunter said there may be factors other than students’ need for caffeine contributing to the increase. She pointed out that students have to use their Flex dollars before they expire at the end of the semester.
Matthew Ashton, senior marketing major said, “I saved 20 swipes for finals week because I’m going to need every one of them for coffee.”
