Every year, I'm always so excited to go back to college and see all of my friends and be a college kid again. Unfortunately, I tend to forget about the whole point of college... you know, that whole class thing. And with class comes lots and lots of homework. Labor Day weekend is usually the turning point every semester when my professors are like, "lol, you have an extra day—let me assign you 3,000 different things," and then it just all goes downhill from there.
With that in mind, I've thought about the many different coping methods I've used throughout my time in college to help me get through seemingly endless nights of homework. My one true savior has always been music. Music has helped me focus, inspired me, and kept me on track. So I've compiled a list of the bands/music that have been tried-and-true staples that have gotten me through many a five-page paper or all-nighter studying for a huge final. I hope you enjoy and hopefully find some music here that inspires you when you hit the books!
When you need a more chill mood: Mumford & Sons
I'm a little salty their third album came out after the last finals week, because it is the perfect study album. It's just upbeat enough to keep you awake and motivated, but at the same time, it's still incredibly mellow. However, their first two albums are absolutely fantastic as well, and they have some incredibly amazing songs for your chill study sessions
I recommend:
"Monster" from Wilder Mind
"Not With Haste" from Babel
When you're feeling antsy and need to dance: Passion Pit
Sometimes when I've been writing a paper for what seems like a million years, I have to turn on something and just have a mini dance party in my seat. Passion Pit is great for that, and they've definitely saved me from extreme study boredom on many occasions.
I recommend:
"Take a Walk"
When you need to be so focused, you can't have any words: Vitamin String Quartet
I'm so obsessed with VSQ because their music is seriously perfect. They play covers of all of the music you love on the radio and make it their own. It's really cool to hear stuff like "Shut up and Dance" being played with violins. It's so freaking cool. VSQ is my go-to because I get to listen to all of those songs, but I'm not distracted by singing along—I can jam while working so easily. Plus, their catalog is huge, and they have everything from Green Day to the Star Wars "Imperial March." Quite frankly, it's awesome. I seriously suggest you try it out!
I recommend:
"Blank Space by Vitamin String Quartet"
When you're in the ZONE and just need to go: Nirvana
People always look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them I like to listen to Nirvana when I study, but seriously, it's awesome. There's just something about Kurt Cobain that makes you want to just go and get crap done. I like to turn to Nirvana when I'm deep in the zone, but I'm feeling tired and just need that extra push. It sounds strange, but Nirvana is seriously a pick me up.
I recommend:
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
When you need a little inspiration: Movie Scores
I love love listening to the scores from all of my favorite movies. Pandora has an amazing movie scores station with a great variation of movies. Listening to scores while studying always helps me because they set such a great tone for your work; they remind you of all of the great feelings you have while watching the movie they're from. The whole point of scoring movie is to add inspiration and a little something extra. So why not take advantage of that and add that something extra to your studying experience. Listen to anything by Hans Zimmer or John Williams, you're golden.
I recommend:
The theme from "Rudy" by Jerry Goldsmith
The score from "The Dark Knight" by Hans Zimmer
Happy studying!
