By: Diya Brar, SFU Student

Whether it’s a $1 gas station espresso shot that tastes like cardboard or a $9 overly sweetened latte with ludicrous foam art — coffee can change my day. Not my entire life, no need to exaggerate, but definitely my day. 

I think a lot of university students would agree that coffee is the quiet hero of campus life. Grabbing an iced vanilla latte from Renaissance Coffee before a three-class lecture day feels like putting on armour. Studying at a café on days when I feel restless — comforted by the sound of the machines, the clinking of glasses, and soft jazz — has become a weekly ritual. And on days when my motivation is nonexistent, I’ll convince myself to start my homework by making a homemade cold brew, complete with milk, cinnamon, and a wildly unnecessary amount of effort. 

Either way, coffee has consistently remained a pleasant background to my life, making everything I do just a little bit brighter. It keeps me company while I experience life’s stresses, boredom, and delight. I can’t decide if it’s the jolt of caffeine in my bloodstream, the sweet syrup piled up at the bottom of the cup, or simply the ritual of handcrafting coffee every morning that makes everything feel lighter. Maybe it’s all of it. It’s mundane but has the dizzying, mystical ability to make the normal feel more special. Coffee doesn’t solve my problems or write my essays, but it does make facing them a little less daunting.