On the Importance of Coffee

As I am writing this, I am drinking my first (of what will probably be around six) cup of coffee for the day. As I have progressed through college, I have discovered that I have become more and more dependent on the highly-caffinated beverage to stay awake through the day. And it isn't just me. Back in high school, I remember my best friend used to bring a mug of coffee to school every day, and I thought that to be weird and pretentious (although usually I would have one cup at home before going to school.) Now do I not only bring coffee to class from home in a travel mug, but I drink several cups that I brew myself before I get there (it is so nice to have my own coffee maker now), in addition to making daily trips to Dunkin' Donuts.
For all the professed negative effects of caffeine (although according to this interesting article from WebMD, most of these are either overblown or downright untrue: http://www.webmd.com/balance/caffeine-myths-and-facts), I have found that it does keep me awake and alert, and doesn't cause the same kind of nasty "crash" that one gets from consuming energy drinks. Plus, I think it tastes better. It is going to be a busy day today; I am already on my second cup.