A Week in the Life of a Barista

    Good afternoon friends and coffee lovers. If you did not know, I am a barista at Northern Lights. This is the on-campus coffee shop that sells Starbucks products. I have worked there since the first semester of my freshman year and I love it. Sadly, since I found out I have Hashimoto's disease I have stopped drinking coffee. Caffeine is bad for those with hypothyroidism. Anyways, the life of a barista is hectic and relaxing. We occasionally get rushed with long lines of customers but for the most part the job is relaxing. My worst experience with the job was the first semester of my freshman year. For some reason that semester was ridiculously busy. As time has elapsed, Northern Lights has become less and less busy. Last year we stayed open until 9 p.m. but we only stay open until 6 p.m. now. I love this job because I have the opportunity to see friends and I get to work with my favorite people in the world!

    One aspect of a day in the life of a barista consists of making various beverages. For example, a popular drink amongst customers is a white chocolate mocha. Other popular drinks include strawberry acai refreshers, chai, frappes and ice waters. Yes, ice water is a popular beverage. I would argue it is the most-ordered drink at Northern Lights. Personally, my favorite drinks are strawberry acai refreshers and iced matcha. Northern Lights offers treats like donuts, cookies, muffins and other pastries as well. In addition, we have a case of beverages like Bangs, Rockstars and sodas. When Northern Lights is not busy, I am permitted to work on homework. This is definitely a part of this job that I adore. Other jobs like working at Subway, WOW cafe or the dining hall are much more stressful and there is no downtime to work on assignments. At the end of the night, we clean the shop, dump out the brewed coffee and teas, restock products and count the cash drawer. 

    Aside from working at Northern Lights, I work on the production team. This job is in the back of the kitchen of the Ohio Northern University dining hall. I create assortments of cheese and pepperoni, crackers and grapes, strawberries and other snacks. This position is similar to an assembly line position in a factory because we do the same thing over and over and over. However, it is relaxing and it gives me time to think or listen to music. Finally, in my time at Ohio Northern University, I have held one other job. This job is nonexistent but it was fun while it lasted. I worked at the desk of King Horn athletic center and signed people into the weight room. This job was awesome because I could work on assignments nearly 100% of the time. This job was created during COVID but no longer exists. 

    In conclusion, I highly recommend having an on-campus job. The positions are extraordinarily flexible and allow you to work on assignments when customers are not around. If you have extra free time or need extra cash, head over to the ONU careers page and see what is available. Not only does it give you time to work on schoolwork but it gives you a little extra money and you might make some amazing friends. I know this blog post was not the most entertaining post in the world but it is another aspect of my life. My life primarily revolves around school, working out, working, taking care of my puppy and cooking food. I cannot complain. It is simple. Have an amazing day and good luck with midterms next week!