Surviving the bubonic plague

I was a lone biology undergrad from a college uptown who skipped most classes and read a bunch of junk. And I frequented this place.
“Adios, amigo.”
The engineer-at -large ambled out of the pub after having finished her last shot. “See you around.”
White noise echoed across the pub—the hum and chatter of the television and the people inside the bar seemingly attempting to outdo each other. The volume had been turned up, the loudest the idiot box glued to the walls would allow it to be, and the final leg of the Federation Cup was on for all to see.
The players were in top form. They had played undersized passes and ended with a few goals to count. “Yes!” cheered the crowd. “They played well. They missed a lot o passes though. And this was enough for us to avenge that year’s shameful defeat,” said one fan. “Both of them played defensively; dwarf passes and all. They brought this all the way from the pitches of the pitches of EspaƱa, diga y despedida,” said another.
The tough chap sitting opposite my table ended up saying, “I can’t take this; acting like first year college kids when they’re playing professional ball! I lost 500, plus time.”
“Pass me a beer,” he said after a while. “Pass me the lighter too.” Pass me this and that; this seemed to be how the tough guy went.
A grumpy old guy on the counter opened his mouth displaying his caffeine-tainted teeth. He recalled a historic match that had taken place between the Brits and the Argentineans against the backdrop of the Falkland war. “It was then that Maradona had scored the Hand of God goal,” with a sugar-coated voice.
“Shut up, will you? I can’t hear myself think,” said a guy from one of the other groups in the bar. His comment created silence, a ‘pin drop’ silence one might add, in a place that was buzzing with noise only a moment ago. This silence was challenged by pooches barking at backpackers outside on the street. Another football buff suddenly stood up, opened the door with a thrust, stepped outside and slammed it hard. The night was growing older, like the old man on the counter. The fans now moved out, lighting their cigarettes, leaving behind only a few strangers.
The pub stood by one of midtown’s few engineering colleges. It was the kind that served the regular supply of liquor, fags, teas and in-betweens.

Dear College freshmen,

As you begin your college experience, and I prepare for my 10-year college reunion, I thought I'd leave you with the things that, in retrospect, I think are important as you navigate the next four years. I hope that some of them are helpful.
Here goes...

1. Your friends will change a lot over the next four years. Let them.
2. Call someone you love back home a few times a week, even if just for a few minutes.
3. In college more than ever before, songs will attach themselves to memories. Every month or two, make a mix cd, mp3 folder, whatever - just make sure you keep copies of these songs. Ten years out, they'll be as effective as a journal in taking you back to your favorite moments.
4. Take naps in the middle of the afternoon with reckless abandon.
5. Adjust your schedule around when you are most productive and creative. If you're nocturnal and do your best work late at night, embrace that. It may be the only time in your life when you can.
6. If you write your best papers the night before they are due, don't let people tell you that you "should be more organized" or that you "should plan better." Different things work for different people. Personally, I worked best under pressure - so I always procrastinated... and always kicked ass (which annoyed my friends to no end). Use the freedom that comes with not having grades first semester to experiment and see what works best for you.
7. At least a few times in your college career, do something fun and irresponsible when you should be studying. The night before my freshman year psych final, my roommate somehow scored front row seats to the Indigo Girls at a venue 2 hours away. I didn't do so well on the final, but I haven't thought about psych since 1993. I've thought about the experience of going to that show (with the guy who is now my son's godfather) at least once a month ever since.
8. Become friends with your favorite professors. Recognize that they can learn from you too - in fact, that's part of the reason they chose to be professors.
9. Carve out an hour every single day to be alone. (Sleeping doesn't count.)
10. Go on dates. Don't feel like every date has to turn into a relationship.