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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCF chapter.

It’s that time of year again when you’re almost halfway through the semester, with spring break almost within reach. However, it’s hard to celebrate this progress through yet another semester with midterms looming overhead. Studying in the library for hours at a time is not nearly as glamorous as lounging on a beach and letting go of all of your problems. 

Midterms are my least favorite part of the semester. At least with finals, you have the motivation of being almost done to push you to finish strong. Personally, I have a much harder time getting myself motivated for midterms when the end of the semester seems so far away. 

woman sits on bed with laptop
Photo by Ivan Samkov from Pexels

One remedy for this lack of motivation has been listening to good music during my study sessions. According to Healthline, research has shown that music can have a number of benefits when studying, such as increased focus, increased motivation, improved memory, and reduced stress. With such clear health benefits, it’s important to listen to music that helps you feel motivated without being too distracted. In the spirit of midterms season, here are five Spotify playlists I like listening to while studying!

LAST MINUTE HOMEWORK PLAYLIST BY NEASA

Starting off strong with one of my favorite study playlists, this playlist has a great blend of music by popular artists across different genres. Some of my favorite artists that are on this playlist include artists like Steve Lacy, Strawberry Guy, Her’s, and SZA. I love turning this on when I just want to vibe to music and tackle smaller assignments or do a short study session.

Study LOFI đź“š By Lofi Girl

There’s a reason this playlist has accumulated almost seven million likes. This playlist has a daily selection of 500 different lofi songs, which allows this playlist to be evergreen. Besides just being super calming, the variety in the playlist is what draws me back to this playlist time after time.

jazz for study by Spotify

Since I was in elementary school, my teachers often played instrumental jazz music when we were reading or working on class assignments and needed to focus. Even though I am a junior in college, I still enjoy some nice instrumental jazz music when I need to put my head down and get to work.

the summer i turned indie by spotify

This may be a little biased because I am a huge indie fan, but this playlist is such a nice collection of calming indie music. While it may not be a traditional “study playlist,” I still enjoy listening to this while I do homework. I tend to put this playlist on when I’m studying somewhere louder, like the Student Union or the lower floors of the library, and just want a little music to muffle the background noise.

ambient study by spotify

This is a great choice for when you want to turn on noise cancellation on your headphones and go full concentration mode. I find myself listening to this when my brain is feeling a little crowded and overstimulated. This playlist is incredibly calming. It’s just enough stimulation to help keep me focused on my schoolwork without being distracted.

With millions of playlists on Spotify alone, there is sure to be something for everyone. With spring break just a few weeks away, I hope this music motivates you to study hard. Good luck, and happy listening!

Kendall Finley is a UCF alum who majored in advertising and public relations. During her time at UCF, Kendall was a writer and editor for Her Campus UCF. Kendall was a member of the Marching Knights for the '21 and '22 seasons and has also served on the Campus Activities Board for UCF. In her free time, Kendall is an avid plant mom and enjoys playing games with her friends.