Music has always acted as an escape for me, whether it is to relax from a long day or to find motivation to write that ten-page paper. Since it is so accessible to our generation, music is almost as addicting as comfort food. Ultimately, we let songs both enhance and influence our emotions, especially when we need reassurance or motivation of some kind.

Take finals week for instance. As college students, finals week is one of the worst times for all of us. Not only do we have exams to study for and papers to write, but also end of the year anxieties. Pile on finding enough time to pack up and move out as soon as everything is turned in, and this time of the year is both daunting and overwhelming.

This is where music comes into play. Personally, I love to use music (in conjunction with coffee, of course) as a motivator to get me to focus, prioritize and begin studying. During finals or even midterms, I tend to bump my low-key indie playlists down and add some confident, fast-paced beats to my queue to increase my productivity. These high-energy songs actually get me into a zone where I can work faster and more efficiently.

It takes time to develop playlists, so I am listing my top ten heart-racing songs for this finals week (all of which can be found on Spotify or Soundcloud):

1. U Don’t Know- Alison Wonderland (Slander remix)

2. Work From Home- Fifth Harmony

3. Till It Hurts- Yellow Claw and Ayden

4. Working For It- Zhu, Skrillex, THEY

5. No Money- Galantis

6. Roses- The Chainsmokers (Two Friends Remix)

7. Get Cnema- Jack U

8. Chemicals- Tiesto

9. Can’t Sleep- K.Flay & Vanic & Just A Gent

10. Wildcard- KSHMR & Sidnie Tipton