College isn’t easy. It’s a chapter in every young adult’s life that’s full of highs, lows, and moments where you start to question everything—including whether you’re on the right path at all. Since the beginning of my college career, music has been more than just background noise; it’s been my way of processing complex emotions, coping, and finding clarity when everything feels wrong. There’s something powerful about hearing the exact words and feelings that you couldn’t quite say yourself. It’s even more powerful when it comes from one of your favorite artists.
Here are ten songs that have carried me through some of my hardest days of college and have helped shape some of the most defining moments of my college experience.
- “American Teenager” by Ethel Cain
-
I’m starting with an absolute banger of a track, and it’s honestly a song that helped shift the entire trajectory of my college life. I first heard “American Teenager” while it was trending on TikTok my freshman year, and was instantly hooked despite never having heard of Ethel Cain. Once I sat down and listened to her album Preacher’s Daughter in full, something in me clicked in a way I never expected.
I know it sounds dramatic, but this song reminded me that even in the middle of chaos, there’s still room for joy. This song reminded me that I was still just a teenager trying to figure things out and that it was okay to not have all the answers yet. “American Teenager” is the kind of song that makes you want to hang your head out of a car window and scream every lyric while the wind rushes past you, one that makes you feel messy, free, and alive.
More than that, though, this song opened the door to an album that ultimately led me to change my major to English. It showed me just how powerful storytelling can be and helped me realize that, despite what my family says, there is a future for me in writing.
- “Light On” by Maggie Rogers
-
Similar to “American Teenager,” “Light On” is one of those songs that may feel bright and uplifting on the first listen, but once you really pay attention, the lyrics hit in a completely different and much more devastating way.
To me, “Light On” captures the feeling of trying to be grateful for where you are, even when you’re struggling to try to enjoy it. I strongly believe that college is a privilege and is something that so many people dream about, but it’s not always as glamorous or freeing as it’s made out to be. There have been so many times throughout my college experience where I’ve felt lost, overwhelmed, and out of place.
With the repeated lyrics, “You should be so happy now,” Rogers perfectly encapsulates that internal pressure and the voice in your head reminding you that this is supposed to be a good time in your life. Despite its devastating undertones, what I love most about this song is the quiet sense of hope it carries. Even on my darkest days, it reminds me to always “leave the light on” and believe that things won’t always be this heavy. The good moments will always be there waiting for me to find my way back to them.
- “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” by Taylor Swift
-
This is probably the least outwardly sad song on this list, but that’s what makes it hit even harder. “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” is upbeat, polished, and performative as it mirrors what it’s like to keep going when everything inside you feels anything but fine. There’s something about Taylor Swift being so open about being miserable during the best tour of her life that makes you feel less alone in your issues.
This song found me at a time in my life when everything was shifting. I had recently cut off my best friend and moved 30 minutes away for a new job, leaving me in a space that was unfamiliar and isolated. It was a time when life didn’t slow down for me, and I just had to keep up.
Halfway through my second semester, this song became a reminder that survival doesn’t always look pretty. Sometimes it just looks like showing up anyway, even when you don’t want to.
- “the grudge” by Olivia Rodrigo
-
As mentioned before, during my first semester of college, I went through a friendship breakup that completely changed how I saw the people around me. It also changed how I saw myself. This song found me in the middle of that, and it was almost unsettling with how closely the lyrics mirrored the emotions I was working through.
What made this song even more powerful was how it captured the quiet aftermath of being hurt by someone you not only loved but also trusted. It captured the anger, confusion, lingering sadness, and how these emotions stick with you longer than you expect them to.
It allowed me to sit with the fact that some people aren’t meant to stay in your life, especially the ones you meet in college. Sometimes people will disappoint you and hurt you in ways you never expected. This song reminded me that healing doesn’t always mean forgetting, but learning how to carry those experiences without letting them define who you are.
- “Fine Line” by Harry Styles
-
After all the changes that came with my freshman year, “Fine Line” represents a quieter, more internal struggle. During my sophomore year, I went through one of the most difficult periods of my life: I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and had to put my entire life on hold.
While this song is often seen as being about a relationship, I couldn’t help but see myself in the lyrics—the way I was treating myself, the pressure I was holding onto, and the constant push and pull between feeling fine and falling apart.
There’s something about this song that’s both devastating and comforting. It sits right in an in-between space, the “fine line” between healing and hurting. For me, this song is a reminder that not everything needs to be clearly defined to be real. You can struggle and still move forward. Growth isn’t always obvious, and sometimes it’s quiet, slow, and happening, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
- “The Black Dog” by Taylor Swift
-
Just like a lot of people in college, I’ve experienced my fair share of heartbreak. “The Black Dog,” however, captures it in a way that feels a little too real. It’s all-consuming and the kind of sadness that sneaks up on you when you think you’ve already moved on.
If you haven’t listened to it before, consider this your warning: it’s one of the most devastating songs you’ll ever hear. There are days when hearing it come up on my Spotify shuffle is enough to completely shift my mood, pulling me right back into the emotions I thought I had already worked through.
This song doesn’t try to soften heartbreak or make it easier to understand; it just allows it to exist in its rawest form. It’s the song for when you need something that reminds you that what you’re feeling is real, valid, and shared.
- “What It Sounds Like” by HUNTR/X
-
I know it might sound crazy, but “What It Sounds Like” (and the movie it’s tied to) genuinely changed my life. I had it on repeat going into this spring semester, and I find myself returning to it whenever things start to feel too much again.
There’s something really fun about the way “kids” songs capture emotion in such a real way. It feels raw, unfiltered, and honest in a way that’s easy to connect to. It’s also a song that, weirdly enough, makes me feel better during times when everything feels uncertain.
Before you judge, go give the song a listen, and while you’re at it, make sure to watch the award-winning “K-Pop Demon Hunters” movie on Netflix.
- “‘Sun Bleached Flies'” by Ethel Cain
-
I had to add another song from Preacher’s Daughter because this album is something that I know I’ll never get over. This song in particular holds a different kind of weight. With the repeated line, “if it’s meant to be, then it’ll be/I forgive it all as it comes back to me,” the song captures something that took me a long time to learn: not everything needs to be controlled or understood right away.
To me, this song represents both complacency and rebellion. It’s all about accepting what you can’t change while still holding onto a sense of self. Somehow, these two feelings coexist in a way that makes you feel less alone rather than more conflicted. This song taught me that healing doesn’t always look like moving forward. Sometimes, it simply looks like letting go.
- “King of Everything” by Madison Beer
-
I went through a big Madison Beer phase during my first semester of freshman year, and it was honestly hard to choose just one song of hers for this list. However, “King of Everything” is the one song I keep coming back to, and it is one that never stopped being relevant to my life.
College introduces you to all kinds of people, including those who make you feel small just for learning, growing, or just existing in the same space as them. There’s a surprising number of superiority complexes in environments that are supposed to be about growth, and it can slowly chip away at you if you’re not careful.
I felt this even more while working a college job, where certain spaces can become unexpectedly challenging. It is a specific kind of frustration that’s hard to explain and even harder to find music that truly captures those feelings. However, Madison Beer does a great job encapsulating these emotions in a song meant to be about her experience being exploited in the music industry.
- “My Shot” by Lin-Manuel Miranda
-
I discovered Hamilton during my sophomore year, and everyone was right when they said that the music has some of the most impactful storytelling I’ve ever experienced. Beyond the catchy sound, the layers within each song and the meaning behind every lyric make it stay with you long after it’s over.
I wanted to include this song at the end of the list because its message is something I’m actively carrying with me through the final year of my college career. We only get a limited time in this chapter of our lives, and it’s so easy to let it pass by when things feel overwhelming. After everything I’ve gone through, I don’t want to look back and feel like I held myself back. I don’t want to regret not trying, not pushing, or not believing in myself to go after what I really want.
“My Shot” is my reminder to keep going, keep taking up space, and chase the goals I set for myself before the doubt crept in. At the end of the day, this is my time, and I refuse to throw away my shot.
I hope some of these songs are able to resonate with you and your experiences. Music can be such a good way to process and connect with your emotions, so try to find songs that help you work through your lows and uplift your highs.