When I was in medical school, on exam days (tests were usually started at 8 AM), I’d get up and be there shortly after they opened at 5 AM. The staff quickly remembered me and always seated me in a booth so I could spread out my study papers. I’d have a hearty breakfast and the waitress (I had the same one every time and over 30 years later I remember her face but have long since forgotten her name) knew why I was there and she kept my coffee cup full. By the time it was time to leave for school, I was well fed and caffeinated to an alert and not jittery state. I remember the hollow eyes of classmates who clearly hadn’t slept and probably neglected breakfast as well. Even though my finances were decidedly not robust (my dad was a truck driver but I had scholarships and small student loans to make up living expenses the scholarship didn’t cover), I tipped my server well because I took up a booth in her station for over 2 hours those mornings. I’m sure she must have passed long ago, but when I think of the people who helped me get through medical school, she’s one of them.