Students on campus have trouble waking up in the morning for an 8 a.m. class.

Most students say that they are not early risers and more than likely nocturnal people.

But they manage to do so anyway with the help of a drug: coffee.

Being a former coffee drinker myself, I used to think coffee was not a drug.

I felt it was simply an energy drink.

Sure I thought there was a better way to deal with sleepiness for my classes and the homework I was facing, but I felt that the easy solution was best.

I started drinking coffee when I was 18 years old, and noticed that I had to use the bathroom every five minutes.

Until March of last year I thought that there was something wrong with my bodily functions.

I am a regular on the bus, one day I had to go to the bathroom when the bus arrived at Norwalk Blvd. and Florence Ave.

It seemed strange that I was only on the bus for 15 minutes and still had 30 minutes until I reached Cerritos College.

I did excuse myself to the restroom and I had to ask myself, “Why is this happening?”

The answer did not come to me right away.

But eventually I realized it was the java.

I had no idea that coffee was the reason I had to go so often.

The more I drank coffee, the more addictive it became.

I had a mug, a new one given to me by my uncle last Christmas, full of coffee and ready to conquer the day.

I compare coffee to steroids.

Now that I think of it, I know how baseball sluggers Barry Bonds and Rafael Palmeiro feel. You just can’t get enough of it.

Once you start taking steroids…I mean coffee, you can’t live without it. How easy is it to get your hands on coffee? Why do you think we have Starbucks Coffee?

Starbucks has been a great ambassador to the public. There you can get any drink from your standard cup of Joe, to your favorite iced coffee.

Everyone has been to Starbucks or some other coffee shop.

You are going to tell me you don’t enjoy the rush of adrenaline?

I have seen students go to Starbucks and have “the usual.”

I and many other students out there have struggled with staying up late and have that cup of Joe to stay up in the morning.

Unfortunately, after seven and a half years of having my coffee I had to stop in March after I started volunteering at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

To be honest, I don’t miss coffee all that much, but, I am sure glad that I am not in the same situation as Bonds or Palmeiro.