Reflecting back on my first year at Texas A&M, I survived. Being the first in my family to move away from home for college and, on top of that, being first-gen, came with some tough times, but I learned to adjust. Whether I was walking to my classes, eating at the dining hall, or trying to get myself out of bed for another day, music was always playing and had a way of helping me get through any situation that came my way.
My music taste is very diverse in general, but it really had a weird timeline during my freshman year. Some songs remind me of days when I felt completely at home at A&M, while others remind me of the days when I missed my family and wondered if I was going to be fine. There were songs I played when I needed energy, songs I found myself hearing at the dining hall, and songs that somehow became attached to specific memories.
Those songs helped me grow and become more independent and disciplined. So, to honor my freshman year, here are 16 songs that were on my “Spotify On Repeat” last year!
The Good Times & the Bad Ones:
As an OG why don’t we fan, I knew I had to borrow the title of one of their albums! Even though they disbanded, they make good music, guys. Go check them out! Anyways…
“Shut Up My Moms Calling” — Hotel Ugly
I really enjoy this song as it’s very carefree and upbeat. I would listen to this song after I took all my exams and didn’t have anything to worry about.
“D.N.A. Cypher I” — D.N.A., LAY, GALI, Shan Yichun & BoogieÂ
I love this song because it’s a hype song and I’d lowkey play it after I cooked a presentation!
“Roslyn” — Bon Iver, St. Vincent
OK guys. I love Twilight, I admit it. But this song is genuinely so melancholic and sentimental. It just makes me cry whenever I have something weighing on my chest.
“Skinny Love” — Bon Iver
I relate to this song when I think of the countless mistakes I made in college and how I learned from them. Especially with the lyrics about being raised to do better.
Nostalgic Songs That Made Me Miss Home
Songs that made me reminisce and wish I was with my family. Phone calls really helped bridge the 100+ miles difference between A&M and Houston.
“Ribs” — Lorde
Ribs has a very soothing and airy feel with indie undertones. I love how it conveys a feeling of being afraid of growing up and wanting to go back to simpler times.
“Cigarette Daydreams” — Cage the Elephant
This song makes me cry. It is very raw and has a yearning touch to it. I can’t really put it into words, but it makes me feel like I’m growing up too fast and am not enjoying my youth enough.
You’re Doing Great
These songs reminded me that as a first-generation student, I am doing great! If you’re first-gen, just remember to take it easy on yourself and be proud of how far you are getting! You got this.
“Vienna” — Billy Joel
Vienna reminds me that I don’t need to know everything or have it all figured out. I am a sophomore in college, and I still don’t know what I want to do post-college, and that’s OK. If you’re in the same boat as me, just know you are more than capable of doing whatever you want, and you will figure it out at some point.
“Big Girls Don’t Cry” — Fergie
Despite this song mainly being about ending a relationship, I found myself relating to needing to be a “big girl” now and learning to become more independent. My family is very close-knit, so learning how to order food for myself or how to go grocery shopping alone were things I had to learn how to do comfortably on my own.
My Version of an Energy Drink
Fun fact, my mom made me promise her I wouldn’t drink any energy drinks when I moved to College Station. So, music is kind of like my energy drink. These songs were what helped me wake up each morning after pulling an all-nighter.
“Time of Our Lives” — Pitbull, Ne-Yo
This song is my jam. I love Pitbull’s old songs. I love upbeat, happy songs. And yeah. Anytime I did anything remotely embarrassing, I’d just remember that Pitbull has been there and done that. Very much a hype song for me at 8 in the morning.
“Blueberry Eyes” — MAX Ft. SUGA of BTS
Blueberry Eyes is very energetic and fresh, and it makes me wish I had blue eyes. I’d always play this while getting ready in the morning (including the days I wished I could stay in bed).
Sbisa Dining Hall Songs
Self-explanatory. I’d always downvote other people’s songs on Rockbot so mine could play lol.
“Hotel California” — Eagles
Hotel California has a very classic rock, sublime, old-school feeling. I kept hearing it every time I would eat at Sbisa and realized it was actually a pretty cool song, so it went on my playlist!
“Ojitos Lindos” — Bad Bunny, Bomba Estéreo
I enjoy Bad Bunny’s music as the Hispanic baddie I am. But I’m also not too into his music, so I had never heard this song before and loved how soft and melodic it was.
Honorable Mentions:
Random songs I heard all the time during my freshman year that I think are worth a listen
“Cry Baby” — The Neighbourhood
The Neighbourhood is awesome. I really really like the rhythm of this song.
“Safe and Sound” — Capital Cities
This is such an early 2010s song, and I love how it feels like life is lighthearted and easygoing.Â
“Iris” — The Goo Goo Dolls
Iris can be described using the three H’s: harmonic, heartfelt, and heavy. What’s not to like about it?
“Daylight” — taylor Swift
Daylight is such a warm, delicate, dreamy piece by Taylor Swift. I’m not a big Swiftie, but this song is so good and deserves some recognition.
Overall, it’s kind of crazy how much music played a role in my freshman year. Some songs remind me of the good days, while others bring back memories of homesickness and figuring out how to live on my own. I’ll definitely have a completely different playlist by the end of my sophomore year, but I’ll always associate these specific songs with my first year at A&M. So, if you’re starting college or going through a rough semester, maybe your next favorite song is somewhere in this list. Give one a listen!