Class was not the only time Steve Hofstetter took notes during his years at Columbia University.
As an author, comedian and nationally syndicated columnist, the 24-year-old took his college experience - everything from the all-night parties to the dining hall food - and threw in his sharp and witty observations to create his second book, Student Body Shots: Another Round.
"I loved school," Hofstetter said, remembering two years ago. "It was a very work-hard, play-hard place. I always got things done but was still drunk three nights out of the week. I think my best memories are ones I don't even have."
Long before Hofstetter was drowning out memories in the Columbia dorms, he was trying his hand at comedy.
"I was involved with improv when I was 13, and when I was 15, there was this contest on AOL where you had to write a poem with the title, ''Twas the Night Before Baseball,'" Hofstetter said. "I wrote a poem about me and my friends getting drunk and making a fantasy baseball team, drafting the worst players in the league."
His initial experience with comedic writing brought him a first-place standing out of about 1,500 entries, fan mail from people who had no idea he was 15 and also, he said, "I won a hat."
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Hofstetter wrote a weekly column for his college paper and began stand-up. He said he loves both, and each one has an advantage.
"Writing has longevity," he said. "It will be around for such a long time. And you don't always have to be funny - sometimes you can write about something serious."
Seriousness, though, is not something he generally embraces in column writing.
"I'm not reading columns to find out about the issues in the Middle East," he said. "I'm reading to be entertained."
The instant reaction he gets from his audience is his favorite aspect of stand-up comedy, Hofstetter said.
"I mean, there's killing, and there's destroying," he said of his act. "That connection is amazing, where you can say anything and make them laugh. It's the most wonderful feeling in the world."
He has been labeled the "thinking man's comic" and said the name is appropriate.
"There are some people who don't get it, but most comedians underestimate their audiences," Hofstetter said. "I'm an optimist when it comes to people. Individually, there are very few people who don't like to think. But sometimes mob mentality and lack of education screws things up."
He said he is never at a loss for material.
"Look around," he said. "There's a billion things to talk about. Comedians notice things. We notice what's wrong."
If it weren't for comedy, Hofstetter said, "I'd be crying. I'd be in a bread line somewhere. This is my only marketable skill."
Now Hofstetter is touring the country promoting Student Body Shots and performing at various colleges.
"I'm mainly a college act," he said. "People over 30 think I'm annoying."
All of Hofstetter's columns are available at www.stevehofstetter.com.
