In the blink of an eye, here I am.
Finishing up my last few assignments, attending the last handful of events, and gearing up for the inevitable… graduation. During this time, I’ve been reflecting on the past four years of my life. Four years filled with many challenges, new accomplishments, and endless memories.
However, I haven’t taken this journey alone. I must give credit where it’s due, to the one thing that never left my side throughout college: music.
For me, each year of college has been a unique chapter; each one narrated by a different set of songs. These songs not only provided me with a staple soundtrack but also guided me through every minor or major plot point.
With this article being my last piece for Her Campus at FSU, I wanted to take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the tracks that have shaped my undergraduate experience.
Freshman Year: “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty
My parents are both big Tom Petty fans, so I’ve ended up getting familiar with a lot of his songs as a result. This specific track was played a lot growing up; whenever I hear it, I’m transported to a warm Saturday night at my childhood home, sitting outside on the back porch as the sun sets.
Right after my parents dropped me off at my dorm freshman year, my mom sent me a Spotify playlist she made for me, and of course, “Wildflowers” was included.
Whenever I felt homesick freshman year, I would return to this song for some comfort. It felt like my parents were speaking to me through the lyrics, encouraging me to find myself.
The line, “You belong somewhere you feel free,” still sticks with me because I felt it then, and I still feel it now — FSU is truly my special place.
Sophomore Year: “Eternal Sunshine” by Ariana Grande
Sophomore year was probably my most turbulent year of college, as I was faced with new emotions and academic challenges. With this, I had to prioritize learning how to heal. Enter: eternal sunshine.
After I listened to the album for the first time, I was floored. This was exactly what I needed to hear. Particularly, “eternal sunshine” felt like a breath of fresh air.
This track speaks mostly of turmoil that comes from a relationship, but it also touches on internal anxieties in the bridge. Grande speaks sporadically yet still shares a clear message with “deep breaths, tight chest” and “life, death, rewind.”
“eternal sunshine” was my guiding light in the darkness, leading me to brighter upper-class years.
Junior Year: “luther (with sza)” by Kendrick Lamar feat. SZA
I struggled a little bit coming up with just one song, because I feel like this year was the most all over the place for me. Many changes occurred in my life, but I took some time to slow down and process it all.
The music I was listening to reflected this mindset, as I opted for a more calming playlist. “luther (with sza)” was the perfect concoction of everything I needed at the time: a slow beat, beautiful instrumentals, and the perfect dreamy vocal blend by Lamar and SZA.
This track is regarded as rather romantic, which perfectly encapsulated the new relationships I was developing with others, and even myself.
Senior Year: “I’ve Seen It” by Olivia Dean
The soothing closing track to Dean’s The Art of Loving takes the cake as my senior year anthem. There were many choices for this staple song, but “I’ve Seen It” says it best.
The lyrics to this track unpack love in all its forms through the eyes of Dean. It “brings out the worst, brings out the best,” but it’s something everyone has their own relationship with.
There are so many lines that I love in this song, but I love the imagery of, “I’ve seen it dance with friends around the table, in Eleanor, Rosie, and Louise.” Whenever I hear this part, I’m instantly brought back to nightly hangouts with my close friends, which is something that has meant the most to me throughout college. From every achievement to every heartbreak, we’ve always leaned on each other for comfort.
Personally, I’ve struggled a lot with my own relationship with love throughout college. For the longest time, I thought it was something I had to search for, but I have finally learned that “It’s been inside me all along.”
There are so many more songs that have fulfilled my college soundtrack, but these four have been my true musical guides. While my story at FSU may be coming to an end, I can’t wait to keep living and learning in the next volume of my life.
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