Taylor Swift has the perfect songs for what her fans are going through; whether they are in the “Lavender Haze” or are crying over a breakup. Through her poetic lyrics, meticulous comparisons and descriptive imagery, Swift knows how to encapsulate many emotions and moments — and that, of course, means some of Midnights‘ lyrics are perfect for college students.

As college students, we are only weeks, months or years away from becoming a real adult — which is exciting, but it’s also terrifying. Swift’s new Midnights track “You’re One Your Own, Kid” encapsulates these feelings of being birthed into adulthood, and not feeling ready in the slightest. Sound familiar? Maybe you’re excited to be done with homework and toxic professors, but you’re also holding onto the security of friendships and bad decisions for dear life because, in the real world, all of that changes.

Whether your college lifestyle includes waking up tired, crawling to class, hanging out with friends, or procrastinating on homework, there’s probably a better chance than you think that some of Midnights‘ lyrics will resonate with you. So grab your headphones and get to listening — new study playlist, anyone?

“Lavender Haze”

“I’m damned if I do give a damn what people say, No deal / The 1950s shit they want from me.”: After Roe V. Wade was overturned, this line is just eerie for many young people.
“Get it off your chest, Get it off my desk.”: This is the mood we feel when we just want to get our homework over with.

“Maroon”

“‘How’d we end up on the floor, anyway?’ you say / ‘Your roommate’s cheap-ass screw-top rosé, that’s how.’”: What’s a college girl’s night in without some wine and laughter?
“I wake with your memory over me, That’s a real f*cking legacy.”: After we graduate, this line is really gonna hit.

“Anti-Hero”

“I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser / Midnights become my afternoons / When my depression works the graveyard shift / all of the people I’ve ghosted stand there in the room.”: This line describes what it’s like being in college on too many levels, from movie nights after a long day to the ebbs and flows of friendships.
“It’s me, hi / I’m the problem, it’s me.”: At least college kids take accountability for disrupting class, right?
“I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror / It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero.”: Some days, just looking in the mirror after a long night can feel masochistic.
“Sometimes, I feel like everybody is a sexy baby, And I’m a monster on the hill.”: Having body image issues on a night out, when girls all around you are in low-rise jeans and crop tops, isn’t the greatest feeling. Am I right?
“Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism / Like some kind of congressman?”: In college, our attitudes are miscommunicated all the time, even when our only intention is kindness.

“You’re On Your Own, Kid”

“I hear it in your voice, you’re smoking with your boys / I touch my phone as if it’s your face.”: This line was made for the boys who charge their vape pens during lectures, because they are also usually the boys who ghost your text messages.
“I didn’t choose this town, I dream of getting out / There’s just one who could make me stay.”: This lyric was made for any college kid hoping to move to New York City post-grad, and who is equally excited and nervous to do so.
“You’re on your own, kid / You always have been.”: It’s as if Taylor Swift is our mom hugging us goodbye in the dormitory parking lot.
“I called a taxi to take me there / I search the party of better bodies, Just to learn that my dreams aren’t rare.”: Comparison is natural in college. Some have cars, others don’t. Some have bodies that fit our society’s beauty standards to a tee, while others don’t. However, you soon learn that the haves are rarer than the have-nots.
“I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this / I hosted parties and starved my body.”: Blood, sweat and tears for a grade? Parties galore? So broke you can barely afford groceries? Yeah, that sounds like college.
“The jokes weren’t funny / I took the money / My friends from home don’t know what to say / I looked around in a blood-soaked gown.”: It’s always an interesting experience to see your hometown friends again after a semester of so much growth in college.
“’Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned / Everything you lose is a step you take.”: In college, friendships and relationships come and go, and that’s natural and OK.
“So, make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it / You’ve got no reason to be afraid.”: It feels like Swift is telling us to hold on tight to the memories as we graduate and head into the real world, something many of us needed to hear. Thanks, Tay!

“Midnight Rain”

“He wanted it comfortable, I wanted that pain / He wanted a bride, I was making my own name / Chasing that fame, he stayed the same.”: While Swift was likely writing about a romantic relationship here, a lot of college students who have dealt with breakups might be able to resonate with you and your ex wanting different things.
“All of me changed like midnight.”: Almost everyone comes into college as one person and leaves as a completely different person.
“My town was a wasteland / Full of cages, full of fences / Pageant queens and big pretenders / But for some, it was paradise.”: Many college students pick colleges to get out of their hometown. Others choose colleges close to their hometown, hoping they will find the tools they need to leave for good. And others stay in their hometown no matter what.
“I broke his heart ’cause he was nice / He was sunshine, I was midnight rain.”: In a relationship, sometimes kindness just isn’t enough. If you’ve been through a breakup in college, you might’ve learned that the hard way.

“Question…?”

“one thing after another / F*ckin’ situations, circumstances, Miscommunications / and I have to say, by the way, I just may like some explanations.”: Miscommunications happen a lot when growing up, and college is all about learning how to handle them.

“Vigilante Sh*t”

“I don’t start shit, but I can tell you how it ends / Don’t get sad, get even / So on the weekends, I don’t dress for friends / Lately I’ve been dressin’ for revenge.”: This lyric is for all the college girls in their villain era. We’re unproblematic queens who just want to end college on a high note.
“Ladies always rise above / Ladies know what people want / Someone sweet and kind and fun / The lady simply had enough.”: Between misogynist classmates and a world filled with sexism, these lyrics hit on too many levels, especially for young women.
“I don’t dress for villains or for innocents / on my vigilante sh*t again.”: Women dress for themselves to feel confident and beautiful, not for anyone else — something many college students discover as they start shaping their personal sense of style after high school.

“Bejeweled”

“Best believe I’m still bejeweled / When I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer.”: This is the energy every girl gang brings to any frat party!
“I think I’ve been too good of a girl / Did all the extra credit, then got graded on a curve / I think it’s time to teach some lessons.”: College is about making mistakes, but also preparing for your future. That duality is exemplified in this lyric — plus, it doesn’t hurt that Swift literally references bad grades (maybe a bit too relatable for some students).

“Labyrinth”

“Breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out.”: I’m going to try this before my next exam. After all, Swift’s a doctor now. She knows how breathing works.
. “Never trust it if it rises fast / It can’t last.”: Swift’s warning to not gain a big head is a reminder we can all benefit from.
“It only feels this raw right now / Lost in the labyrinth of my mind.”: A labyrinth is one of the best analogies for the anxieties and confusion college kids deal with.
“You would break your back to make me break a smile / You know how much I hate That everybody just expects me to bounce back / Just like that.”: College kids go through a lot: Bad romances. Toxic roommates. Cruel friendships. It takes time for these wounds to heal, and it’s wild when people think we can bounce back in no time at all. At least Swift understands.

“Karma”

“You’re talking shit for the hell of it / Addicted to betrayal, but you’re relevant / You’re terrified to look down.”: Betrayal is something many college kids deal with, from friends, partners, and roommates. It’s never easy.
“Me and karma vibe like that.”: Letting karma do its thing is so satisfying sometimes, especially if you go to a college with many people from your high school.
“Ask me what I learned from all those years / Ask me what I earned from all those tears / Ask me why so many fade, but I’m still here.”: Going through adversity is a strength, not a weakness, a piece of wisdom you’ll definitely have learned by the time you cross the stage at graduation.

“Mastermind”

“To assess the equation of you / Checkmate, I couldn’t lose.”: Figuring out where romances and friendships stand can feel like playing a game of chess sometimes. It seems like adult relationships are no different.
“What if I told you I’m a mastermind?”: What if the professors who doubted us figured out that we are actually smarter than they think?
“No one wanted to play with me as a little kid / So I’ve been scheming like a criminal ever since / to make them love me and make it seem effortless.”: Just because you’ve gained confidence in college, doesn’t mean those childhood scars have faded.
“This is the first time I’ve felt the need to confess / And I swear I’m only cryptic and Machiavellian ’cause I care.”: If college has taught us anything, it’s that people handle acts of kindness differently. A kind gesture can be perceived as clingy or somehow selfish, even if that wasn’t the intention.

These ‘Midnights’ Lyrics Are Perfect For College Students