Coffee for University Students

Anyone who has been a student in Vietnam has a café of their own: a small place near campus, coffee at a friendly price, wifi that works, and an owner who doesn't mind the whole group staying until late afternoon. In the university years, coffee isn't just a drink. It's a study space, a meeting point, a place to chat and sometimes a refuge on bad days.

The student-budget café

Near universities you'll find cafés aimed squarely at students: plastic chairs or simple wooden tables, power sockets in every corner, a menu of iced coffee, milk coffee, bạc xỉu, iced tea and a few snacks. Prices are affordable, and one drink can "hold your seat" for the whole afternoon.

For many students in cramped rented rooms or crowded dorms, the café is a spacious, bright place with a gentle buzz of conversation — a rather pleasant "second study room".

Group study over coffee

Group assignments, projects, presentations — student life involves a lot of working together. The café is the default meeting place. The group pushes two tables together, opens laptops, orders a drink each and starts dividing up the work.

These sessions often run long, with side conversations in between: which course is hard, which lecturer is lovely, where to go at the weekend. Many university friendships begin at group study sessions in a café.

Cafés are also where many students work part-time. Making drinks, serving, working the till — those part-time jobs bring in extra income, and many people learn to brew a proper phin on exactly those shifts.

Exam season and too much coffee

Close to exams, cafés near campus get busier and some stay open later. It's also when many students drink the most coffee — a morning cup, an afternoon cup, then another in the evening to stay up late.

A few things to remember while revising:

• Healthy adults are generally advised to keep to no more than about 400 mg of caffeine a day (EFSA and FDA). Caffeine per cup varies a lot; a strong Robusta phin can contain quite a bit.
• Caffeine keeps working for hours after you drink it. A cup at 9 pm can keep you tossing and turning until late.
• All-nighters don't help you remember. Sleep is when the brain sorts out what you've learned.
• Don't mix coffee with energy drinks. The caffeine adds up and can easily go past safe levels.
• A racing heart, shaky hands or trouble sleeping are signs to cut back.

Coffee in a rented room

Buying coffee at a café every day adds up on a student budget. Many switch to making their own. Some popular ways:

Making your own coffee is also a small life skill: choosing a coffee you like, getting the strength right, storing it airtight and away from moisture. The Phin Filter — Icon of Vietnamese Coffee has detailed instructions.

Years tied to a cup of coffee

After graduating, many people still remember the café near the dorm, the bạc xỉu during exam revision, or the little phin on their study desk. Student coffee is rarely expensive or elaborate, but it is tied to youth and friends.

The next article in this series follows students after graduation: coffee in the rhythm of office work.