Thus far, in my college career, I have been through 3 midterms periods. And each time, the night before my hardest midterm, I have found myself browsing the internet or walking up to Nassau Street, in hopes of finding food that will help me feel a little bit less stressed. College is a time of change and unpredictability, but one thing has always remained the same: me, spending too much money on food that I really don’t need. Here’s some examples:
1. Nut Butter from Big Spoon Roasters
Photo courtesy of bigspoonroasters.com
A few days ago, I opened up the package that resulted from late-night studying before my Baroque Art and Archaeology midterm. In the midst of memorizing slides, I managed to justify the purchase of $50 worth of three different jars: peanut, chai spice, and almond ginger. Don’t get me wrong, all three have been delicious, but probably not worth an entire paycheck.
2. A Pint of Bent Spoon Ice Cream
Photo courtesy of thebentspoon.net
Understandably, during midterms, time is limited. So rather than making the trek up to Nassau Street multiple times for the best ice cream in Princeton, why not just save time by keeping a pint in the dorm? At least, that’s what went through my mind at the time of procrastinating work on my Humanities paper.
3. Coffee from Atticus Cafe
Photo by Lisa Gong
One of the best investments I’ve made in coffee has been my French press coffee brewer. But of course, this means that I need to keep my dorm supplied with ground coffee beans for early mornings or afternoon pick-me-ups. I couldn’t just settle for Starbucks’ Blend or Folgers; at the time of my Neuroscience midterm, only coffee specially ordered from my favorite cafe in Park City, Utah, would do.
4. A Jar of Imported Italian Fig Jam
Photo courtesy of boomerang-dining.com
Before my anthropology take-home test, I realized I was out of jam. As I am an avid peanut butter lover, this was unacceptable. But why settle for plain, predictable strawberry jam? So, I think that the $10 jar of Italian-imported Mediterranean fig jam from Olive’s on Nassau Street was completely necessary. At least the walk up to Olive’s was a nice study break.
This list is certainly a work in progress. I’m sure that the next time a major exam comes around, I will jump on the chance to order more nut butter or find coffee from even farther across the country. But why fight it?