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Lifestyle

The Perfect Cup of Coffee, Based on Your College Major

If I’ve learned anything throughout my college experience, it’s that caffeine is a non-negotiable. Whether it’s my morning cup of Chameleon’s Guatemala Roast, or an afternoon Dunkin’ run with my roommate, I can’t make it through the day without a cup of joe (or three). In honor of National Coffee Day, Spoon has compiled a very scientific guide to getting your java fix.

Without further ado, here’s what coffee you should be consuming based on your college major:

Economics: Espresso

Economics majors are all about the bang for their buck, which is why a shot of espresso (or a double) is perfect. Not only is it less than two dollars for a single shot, espresso has roughly four times the caffeine than black coffee per ounce, making it the most cost-efficient caffeine fix for the economist.

Psychology: Dirty Chai Tea Latte

coffee day coffee chocolate
Serena Ajbani

Enter the age-old debate that has plagued college campuses for years: is psychology a science, or does it belong in humanities? My best friend is a psych major and even she doesn’t know. Regardless of the answer, a dirty chai tea latte is the perfect blend of tea and espresso that doesn’t quite fit into a distinctive coffee shop category, either.

English: Iced Coffee

coffee day
Anna Arriaga

Let’s be real, English majors love the ambience of a coffee shop more than the actual coffee. A flavored iced coffee with cream and sugar is the perfect aesthetic drink for an afternoon brainstorm or Saturday essay-writing session — so long as they Instagram a picture of their drink next to their open book in said coffee shop, or course.

Chemistry: Nitro Cold Brew

coffee day ice coffee
Alex Frank

Chemistry majors know that coffee is just a source of everyone’s favorite chemical compound, caffeine…but what do you get when you add the element nitrogen? Nitro cold brew is a creamy, slightly carbonated version of your favorite cold brew, with (bonus!) more caffeine than regular cold brew, and less acidity than hot coffee.

Education: Mocha

coffee day coffee cappuccino
Katy Hickl

Every kiddo’s favorite Starbucks order is a hot chocolate, and let’s be real — education majors are all young at heart. Unlike the rest of us, though, education majors are brave enough to teach children all day long, which is why a mocha latte, or grown-up hot chocolate, is the perfect drink to get them through the school day.

Pre-Med: Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans

coffee day chocolate candy
Grace Goettman

Like chemists, Pre-Medical students know the magic of caffeine, and also have little to no time to consume it. Rather than delaying their MCAT flashcards or Biochemistry study sessions, Pre-Meds can get their fix straight from the source with chocolate-covered espresso beans.

Engineering: Aeropress

coffee day coffee tea
Jacqueline Wolf

If any student can appreciate a machine dedicated to the perfect cup, it’s an Engineering Major. An Aeropress is a compact gadget that uses immersion and force to saturate coffee grounds before pushing hot water through a filter to brew a single, perfectly strong cup of coffee.

Environmental Studies: Mushroom Coffee

coffee day vegetable mushroom
Alex Frank

Mushrooms recently entered the coffee scene, with creators boasting the medicinal properties of the superfood fungi. Rather than add yet another vitamin to the lineup, environmental studies majors can reap the fungi’s medicinal benefits (including high concentrations of antioxidants, as well as folic acid and vitamin d) with a cup of mushroom coffee.

Mathematics: Instant Coffee

coffee day coffee espresso
Keriss101

Mathematics majors aren’t focused on the coffee, but the intense equations they need to work out. Enter instant coffee, a quick solution for an easy cup of joe — it may not be the best cup of coffee a Math major has ever had, but they were paying attention to their linear algebra equations, anyway.

Business: Cold Brew

coffee day ice beer
Amy Cho

My business friends are notorious for having three hour lectures, often in the late afternoon and evenings. Cold brew is a simple, professional pick-me-up, and it means business: since there’s no need to wait for it to cool, business majors can grab their brew and head straight to their next finance meeting.

Theater: Frappuccino

coffee day frappachino Starbucks
Sam Jesner

A frappuccino is, let’s face it, totally extra — and not at all about the coffee. Regardless of a frapp’s star ingredient, a sweetly-flavored ice-blended coffee that’s covered with whipped cream and toppings, a frapp is a super FUN way to enjoy a cup of joe.

Communications: Seasonal Coffee

coffee day
Eileen Laverty

Whether you’re a radio DJ, social media marketer, or freelance writer, you have to be with the trends to be a successful comm major — which is why a seasonal coffee is a great choice. Starbucks is currently offering the apple crisp macchiato, while Dunkin’ is keeping it classic with a pumpkin spice latte.

Philosophy: Double Shot Americano

coffee day coffee espresso
Jocelyn Hsu

An espresso with added hot water, an Americano hits the prestige (no poorly-brewed coffee pot, here) and plainness (who needs milk and sugar?) of philosophers, while having enough volume to last long enough for any Socratic questioning regarding their coffee order.

Arts: Latte

coffee day cafe caffeine
Katie Kasperson

Like English majors, arts majors are just as much there for the aesthetic as they are the caffeine when it comes to coffee, and a latte is the perfect accompaniment to a formal analysis. Only an artist could truly appreciate the skill it takes a barista to make latte art that isn’t just a dollop of steamed milk. 

Whether or not it matches your major, go grab a cup of joe to celebrate my new favorite holiday. Cheers to National Coffee Day

Kennedy Dierks is a National Contributor at Spoon University, and chapter president of Spoon at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. She covers all things food and has a soft spot for pop-culture moments, product launches, and the occasional cocktail. Beyond Her Campus, Kennedy plans to pursue medicine and currently works as a medical assistant and clinical researcher. She has written for Teen Vogue, ABC News, and Girl’s Life Magazine, in addition to a number of academic and scholarly journals. She recently graduated from Seton Hall University, where she majored in Biology and Religious Studies while minoring in Art History. Kennedy is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at Seton Hall’s College of Interprofessional Health Sciences. Kennedy is a Taylor Swift aficionado who is convinced that a New Jersey bagel makes everything better. In her free time, she can be found teaching spin classes at the gym, playing the guitar, designing art for her Redbubble shop, or roaming the aisles of Trader Joe’s looking for her new favorite product.