Whether it’s an essential part of your daily grind or just an extra boost for late night cramming, coffee might simultaneously be the best and worst thing that’s happened to most students in college. The caffeine is awesome because you can use it to wake up for early morning classes or stay up late to finish procrastinated homework, but the downside is trying to find a cup that tastes as delicious as you want it to, especially on campus.

With so many options for where to grab a cup of joe on campus, the decision can be overwhelming. I set out to find the best and worst that UMass has to offer, and I was surprised to find that there are 15 cafes easily accessible to the students here. Since there are so many, I’ve chosen just a few to focus on, which will hopefully aid you in future coffee-seeking quests.

Procrastination Station
Out of all the coffee I tried, the roast at the Procrastination Station was the bottom of the list. While it’s conveniently located in the DuBois library, the sub-par taste of the coffee almost makes it worth it to walk to a different cafe. The regular dark roast was almost undrinkable because it was so burnt. It’s true that a good, strong cup of coffee can be bitter sometimes, but Procrastination Station’s dark roast went overboard in this regard. I don’t know if they are just using water that’s too hot for the beans or if there’s something wrong with their machine, but either way the coffee was so scorched I almost asked for a refund. On top of less-than-desirable coffee, the service was brusque and slow. Procrastination Station is definitely convenient, but taste-wise, your money is likely better spent elsewhere.

ISB Cafe
The next stop was the ISB Cafe, which serves Starbucks beans to an eager crowd with a customer line that often winds around the room. The service here was much more pleasant than in the library, and the staff worked through the line as quickly as possible. Despite the improvement in customer service, this coffee was a disappointment as well. It wasn’t as burnt, or as bitter, but it was oddly sour. I don’t know what other people look for in a good cup of joe, but for me, sour is definitely not something I want. I attempted to mask the taste with cream and sugar with no luck. So it ended up being another disappointing stop, and with the quest for good coffee in mind, I headed to Southwest.

Hampshire Cafe
I went to the other cafe that served Starbucks on campus, Hampshire Cafe, underneath Hampshire Dining Commons. Both the service and the coffee at this location were far superior to the others, to my pleasant surprise. The coffee was pleasingly not burnt and the service was great – a nice break from my previous two experiences with campus coffee. However, despite the good coffee and amiable service, Hampshire was still lacking some key element of my coffee experience, so I continued on.

French Meadow Cafe
French Meadow cafe in the Campus Center ends up in second place. They had wonderful service and an interesting selection of roasts, a needed break from the monotony of other campus coffee servers. The service was fast and friendly and I happily drank the whole cup, glad to finally have a buttery and smooth coffee in hand. There was also an array of food and drink choices for those not interested in just a cup of coffee, although the roasts available here were commendable on their own.

People’s Market
The best coffee I found on campus hands-down goes to People’s Market. It’s a wonderful, fun atmosphere where they have great music pumping all day. They have a welcoming staff and an array of interesting foods to try with your java. The service was fast and, best of all, the coffee was delicious. It was smooth but strong, with no lingering or bitter aftertaste. There was much more available then just sugar and cream to add to the cup, like honey, agave nectar, cinnamon and other flavorings. I give People’s Market a 10 out of 10, and it’s the same price as (if not cheaper than) other places on campus. I would highly suggest it to any coffee lover at UMass; I know I will be going back soon.

The extensive selection of coffee servers on campus can be overwhelming, even to the less-obsessed coffee drinker, but this brief rundown of my personal favorites ought to give you a good road map to start with. My preferred cup of java may not be everyone’s, but that’s all the more reason to explore the UMass coffee options for yourself. If nothing else, at least your caffeine level will be at maximum in time for finals.

Adria Kelly-Sullenger can be reached at [email protected].