The Opportunity Cost of Studying at a Cafe Everyday
Since school has started I have come across an on going problem, finding a GOOD place to study. Finding a GOOD place to study is harder than one would expect but important because without an environment to focus in you can’t get your work done. There are many factors that play into finding a good place to study. Personally I have one subpar study spot at Starbucks that trumps all the other cafes i've been to in Virginia. I'm able to focus there because it’s spacious, the lighting is good, the temperature inside, and it’s only 10 minutes from my house and 15 minutes from my school. Although there are many benefits, there's only one problem. In order to study there, like at any cafe, you must buy something off the menu. This factor alone is beginning to steadily raise the originally low opportunity cost. The coffee expenses are accumulating daily. Perhaps if I were somebody who was addicted to coffee it would lower the opportunity cost, however I don't even care for coffee, I just buy it because I have too and because I don't mind having extra energy. The reason the opportunity cost is rising is because my income has shrunk due to me taking off work to tend to my homework. I don’t see my situation changing any time soon, which means I’ll have to start looking for a spot in the library to study. This is a classic example of economics at play in a college student's life.