Whether you’re ready for it or not, the dreaded finals week is fastly approaching us all.
Odds are you’re feeling pretty stressed right now. Unless you’re a prepared student, you probably have procrastinated studying for finals and now you’re kicking yourself in the butt while you cram away.
But have no fear! The Her Campus team is here to help ease your worries and stress by giving you the ultimate playlist to help get you through finals week.
Music therapy is a real thing y’all, so read this article, go to youtube, listen to all the songs recommended below, and you will for sure survive this upcoming week!
Hayley: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper. “I love it because the music video is fun to watch, and always makes me laugh when I get too stressed out. Whenever I feel like I’m stressed enough to where I’m having a crisis, I turn on the song because it reminds me of when I was younger and I used to have dance parties in the living room to that song with my mom. It always brings a smile to my face.”
Vanessa: “When I’m stressed, a specific genre of music doesn’t really matter to me. Whatever I’m listening to at the moment can help de-stress, no matter what it is. I’ve found myself listening to songs by Catfish & The Bottlemen and Young The Giant while I’ve been doing my homework recently. I’ve also been adding songs to playlist from a new band I’ve just started listening to named Grizfolk.”
Imani: I love listening to rap music when I’m stressed. I don’t have a particular artist for that but I love going on Spotify and listening to pre made playlists.
Annie: Lyin’ Eyes by The Eagles. “I love the story that the lyrics tell and I sing it all the time, either with the music or just by myself when I’m doing mindless tasks. It’s a peaceful melody and just a gorgeous song.”
Danni: “I have a playlist on my iTunes that’s titled “Feeling Emo”. I know the name sounds ridiculous, but all of the songs on there are super chill and feature my favorite artists. Some highlights include “Californication” by Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Everlong (Acoustic)” by Foo Fighters, “Leave” by Matchbox Twenty, “Champagne Supernova” by Oasis, “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, “Still” by Matt Nathanson, “Take the Box (Demo)” by Amy Winehouse, and “The Devil’s Back” by The Pretty Reckless.”
Shayla: “Whenever I do homework I usually listen to the score soundtracks of different movies and tv shows. Some of my favorites are the soundtracks to Interstellar, Stranger Things, Whiplash, La La Land, and more. These are great because they have no lyrics which doesn’t tempt me to sing along, losing focus of what I’m studying. I also just discovered the deep focus playlist on Spotify. This is also great to listen to while doing homework. It is composed of different instrumentals ranging in different tempos and melodies. I have found that I study best with little background noise so these soundtracks do a great job of keeping me calm and focused.”
Alyssa: Mr. Brightside by the Killers. “I have a lot of memories attached to that song, and it’s great whether you need a happiness boost or if you need something to scream at the top of your lungs to get all your anger out.”
Kelli: “So whenever I feel overwhelmed and/or stressed, I like listening to songs that take me on a journey. So songs like Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen, Love On Top by Beyonce, No More Drama by Mary J. Blige, and anything by Whitney Houston really help me escape my reality of stress. I also love listening to old school music from artists like Etta James, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley; they take me to a whole other universe.”
Chloe: “There She Goes by The La’s. “It is simple and a classic! I like to pretend I’m that girl in the song- I imagine she’s confident and tackles every challenge she’s thrown, she’s a real girlboss and everyone knows it. Also, it reminds me of Gilmore Girls, which is a huge plus.”
Megan: “So I have two different tactics for choosing the kind of music I want to listen to when I’m stressed – I either go for inspiring, optimistic music to pull me out of my mood or I listen to songs that sort of feed my feelings in order to get closure. If I’m going for inspiring/optimistic, I like to listen to “Bravado” and “Still Sane” by Lorde. As a young person, she has the right attitude about working towards success while staying self-aware. I think as a generation, we struggle mostly with this, especially when we get hit with the stress of college and the stuff life throws at us while we are doing the best we can. I live and die by Lauryn Hill’s album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Completely lifts me out of any stressful place I find myself in. The same thing goes for Chance the Rapper and actually for the rap I listen to in general. I like the songs “The Show Goes On” by Lupe Fiasco, “She” by Laura Mvula, “Someday” by the Strokes, and a cool live version of “To God Be The Glory” performed by Kelly Price. For the songs that give me closure in being stressed, I listen to a lot of Emily Haines, including both her solo work and the stuff with Metric. I love the songs “I Don’t Blame You” by Cat Power and “The Great Escape” by Patrick Watson.”
You got this Bulls! Happy studying & may the odds (and that test curve) be ever in your favor! If that doesn’t help motivate you, here’s a picture of Ryan Gosling wishing you luck on your finals:
HCXOXO,
Danni & Kelli
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