Commandments for Every Senior Northeastern Collegiette

The status updates and tweets from my peers leave no room for questioning: for many of us, this week includes our “last first day of classes.” And while I should be filled with some kind of panic about post-graduation, I’m more concerned with not being able to pack enough fun into the last semester in which I can plead “college” as reason for reckless thing I do.  And though I’m excited to end my Saturday nights at Our House (because post-graduation, I’ll have no excuse to be there), this semester I want to branch out a bit.  In turn, I’ve created five commandments that any graduating collegiette™ can take to make sure she changes up her routine in order to have much fun as possible…after finishing her homework of course.

1. Thou Shalt Find Live Music:

Yes, dancing into the night away to Rihanna and Gaga on Boylston can be fun, but at some point it becomes routine. Though you may not recognize the name of a live band playing at The Middle East or The Squealing Pig, your body will still find a way to sway to the new sounds.  Plus, sometimes cover bands are even more fun to listen to than the originals. Abandon your favorite DJ (or iTunes playlist) for one night, and fight your way to the stage to ogle a cute drummer.

Try
The Middle East, 472 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge www.mideastclub.com
The Squealing Pig, 134 Smith Street  Roxbury Crossing  www.squealingpigboston.com
Wally’s Café, 427 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston wallyscafe.com
Johnny D’s, 17 Holland St, Somerville www.johnnyds.com

2. Thou Shalt Embrace (new) Dive Bars

Though you may be on a first name basis with our favorite bartender at Conor’s or McFadden’s, maybe it’s time to search for a new favorite place. Don’t be afraid to cross the bridge; Cambridge is home to many small bars where you can find a diverse crowd. Some have open slam poetry nights, trivia nights, or open mic nights, and isn’t easier to potentially embarrass yourself when you’re sure the bar won’t be filled with fellow Huskies?

Try
People’s Republik, 876 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge www.peoplesrepublik.com
Charlie’s Kitchen, 10 Eliot St, Cambridge www.charlieskitchen.com
Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Ave, Cambrige www.cantab-lounge.com  

3. Thou Shalt Visit That Friend You Keep Promising to Visit

It’s hard finding cheap ways to visit other graduating friends before we snag our diplomas and disappear into cubicles, grad school libraries, or the PeaceCorps for the next few years.  Last month Megabus gave away 200,000 free tickets. If you weren’t lucky enough to snag one, there are still cheap options to visit that friend who isn’t lucky enough to go to school in the nation’s greatest college town. Megabus, Bolt Bus and Greyhound all offer cheap tickets, and most bus companies include wireless internet in their vehicles. Too far to bus? Spirit Air offers one-way tickets for as low at $9 to start. Air Tran has a great standby program for students between 18 and 22. Air Tran U has one-way flights starting at $49 to over 60 cities nationwide. Though standby is a gamble, you can call ahead to see how many seats are left on the flight before trekking to Logan.

Try
www.spiritair.com
www.airtran.com
www.megabus.com
www.boltbus.com
www.greyhound.com

4. Thou Shalt Leave Huntington Avenue for Dinner

We’re lucky to have access to so many restaurants right outside our door, but one can only take so many trips to UNO’s and Pho and I. Remember that you live in a city with a quality Chinatown and a stellar Italian area. Boston is peppered with almost any kind of ethnic food imaginable, and even if you’re just looking for some good pizza or a burger, there are dozens of options that the green E line can’t reach.

Try
Sunset Grill and Tap, 130 Brighton Ave, Allston www.allstonsfinest.com
Addis Red Sea, 544 Tremont St, Boston www.addisredsea.com
The Daily Catch 323 Hanover St, Boston www.dailycatch.com
Dave’s Fresh Pasta, 81 Holland St Somerville www.davesfreshpasta.com
Gourmet Dumpling House, 52 Beach St, Boston www.gourmetdumpling.com

5. Thou Shalt Learn New Skills (or Embrace Old Ones)

At my friend Anne’s 24th birthday last weekend, she told me that she started taking ballet classes at the Brookline Ballet School. She’s not a dancer, but has been using the class for a way to stay in shape and have fun. Intrigued, I looked into classes myself. The school offers beginner introduction classes for only $14 a class for students. There are always those things we say we want to do-learn to cook, take a pottery class, start rock climbing, and now, before we get stuck in a 9-5 lifestyle, is the time to start. The Boston Center of Adult Education offers thousands of classes in everything from music to dance to wine tasting. Though you may be swamped by classes and GREs, take some time to learn something you’ve been wanting to try or re-start something you loved as a child-because it’s doubtful that Northeastern will offer a cake decorating or bikram yoga class anytime soon.

Try
www.bcae.org
www.brooklineballet.com
www.mfa.org/programs/studio-art-class
www.backbayyoga.com