With back to school in full swing, many students, including myself, are going to soon be swarmed with papers to write and midterms to study for. Something that makes that grueling experience a bit easier for me is locking down a good study playlist. So here I’m going to give you my top five song recommendations for a productive and focused study session!
“The Path” by Lorde
I really enjoy listening to all of Lorde’s music but I find this song to be especially soothing, which I feel is an essential quality of a good study song. The layered vocals and the light instruments make it especially stand out as a good song choice for a fulfilling study session.
“Call It Fate, Call It Karma” by The Strokes
This is my favorite song to listen to when I have a lot of reading to do because its calm beat and soft sounding lyrics make it much easier to stay productive. It kind of reminds me of elevator music, but catchier and more entertaining. I would definitely say that this song is a staple for any time I need to chain myself to my computer and get work done.
“On/Off” by Adam Garrett
This is a great song to listen to as it has a catchy beat to it, but not so much going on to where it distracts you from your tasks. Songs that are too upbeat can be more distracting than helpful when you’re trying to study. This song is a good middle ground as it’s not too slow or too energetic, and it’s probably one of my favorites on this list!
“Steeeam” by Shelly
I was on Spotify making a playlist and this song came up as a recommendation. I decided to give it a listen and I am so glad that I did! I immediately recognized the voice as Clairo, a well known indie pop artist that I love, and ever since then this song has been a key component to my studying sessions. Its chill and mellow vibe makes it a great song to listen to when you’re stuck writing that 10 page paper for the class you’re dying to drop, or when you’re just trying to de-stress after the midterm you’ve been worrying about for the past week.
“Good Days” by SZA
Finally, this song is the perfect choice to get you in a good mood and ready to be productive! I don’t know if it’s really great background music for when you really need to lock in and focus, but I know it makes me feel positive and more motivated to do what I have to do! I mean, if we’re stuck studying we might as well try and do it with a positive attitude, right?
Studying can be kind of a pain, but getting through it with the right attitude, and the right playlist, can make all the difference. I hope these songs come in handy for you this quarter!