Hacks for Free Coffee on Campus

You know why you clicked this article. You know what you’re here for. And yes, you read correctly: this is Flyby’s ultimate, comprehensive guide to where you can get *free* coffee on-campus— no strings attached!

The SEC

Humanities concentrators, keep scrolling. Sorry. (We promise it gets better for you on this list!) For the engineers in the crowd, though, get to the SEC from 8 am to 10:30 am to snag some free coffee in the cafe— Peet’s, no less! Fuel up before your 434,819+ hour long work days doing integrals and coding stuff. You’ll need it. <3

Museum of Comparative Zoology

If you’re in the mood to explore, check out the 2nd and 4th floors of the MCZ for some real hidden gems! The Ernst Mayr library on the 2nd floor provides not only free coffee, but also candy and cozy couches for your studying needs. The Center for the Environment on the 4th floor is a similar situation with free coffee and good vibes. They get mad if you only come to grab coffee and leave, though (rightfully so), so be sure to actually stay a while. You’ll want to anyway!

Law School Library

Not only is it Widener’s sexier twin, it’s also home to a very generous offering of free capsule coffee all day on the weekends. Tucked into the north end of the Reading Room, this coffee spot only requires that you bring your own mug. It makes for a very lovely work environment if you need some new scenery to cry over your midterm papers. Sometimes it’s so easy to forget the literal Harvard Law School is just chilling next to the Science Center… but we bet you won’t forget now.

Mather Coffee Bar

You either already know about this and always forget to go, or have zero clue it exists. Whatever the case may be, I’m here to spell it out in no uncertain terms: Mather hosts a FREE student-run coffee bar every Sunday afternoon! We’re talking actual lattes, matcha, and even an assortment of study snacks to fuel your weekend work sessions. Tatte will always be there, trust us— but walking the few extra paces down DeWolfe Street for this will be worth it.

BoardPlus: LISE, Northwest, & SEC Cafes

I’m truly, actually, genuinely SHOCKED whenever people tell me they still haven’t used any of their Boardplus. Harvard literally gave you free money, and you’re just letting it sit there? Dude. Head over to one of a few cafes in the Laboratory for Integrated Sciences and Engineering (LISE), Northwest, or the SEC to grab not only free coffee, but baked goods, snacks, and full-blown meals (PSA: there is ramen at the SEC cafe.)

Peet’s Capital One Cafe (ish)

Okay, so listen— no, this is technically not on campus and no, it’s technically not free. But there is no denying that this is an insane deal whenever it pops up for whatever reason. Every once in a while, courtesy of the caffeine deities, Capital One cafe will offer $1 coffee for any drink, any size. We’re talking monstrously large, elaborate lattes with tons of extra shots and add-ons costing just a dollar. Keep your eyes peeled; we can never tell when it’ll happen next.

The Dining Halls

Yeah, I know. This is very much a “we have coffee at home” kind of deal. But. Have you ever really considered all the possibilities for leveling up your d-hall coffee experience? Add a splash of the dark chocolate oat milk to your iced coffee for a homemade oat mocha latte. Grab a spoonful of vanilla ice cream at Sunday Sundae bar and some trusty Fogbuster for a makeshift affogato treat. When life hands you lemons, stick with HUDS.

With great power comes great responsibility— but we hope this newfound knowledge serves you well as midterms start cranking up! Go forth and be caffeinated.