Despite the many hours spent procrastinating on Tik Tok, Netflix, or YouTube, I am here to inform you that your excessive social media use did not make finals disappear – sadly. With the weather getting colder and the opportunity to go on “study break walks” diminishing, our time spent inside and grinding on school is sure to skyrocket.
An integral aspect of creating the most helpful and study-worthy playlist is assessing the vibe for your studying. Writing an essay? Doing some coding? Or perhaps teaching yourself an entire course in one night? What – never done that before…
So here are a few genres of music and recs to make your productivity playlist for finals!
- Classical Music
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I am personally a classical music fan no matter the occasion. Studying – perfect. Having a hot shower – also perfect. Trying to relive my prime years as a ballet dancer despite having lost what little skill I did have – timeless.
Classical music is great for an intense study session where you don’t want complete silence but also don’t want to get distracted by lyrics or the urge to have a dance party while blasting pop. The majority of my classes are essay-based and therefore I find myself rapidly typing to hit word and page counts. The build and suspension in classical music help me be creative and focus on the task at hand which is always just finishing the dang paper.
Some of my favs include…
– Peaceful Piano on Spotify or
– My own playlist, titled – two people with their computers open on FB “studying”Legend has it, Vanessa survived her undergrad by blasting ‘Clair de Lune’ before every exam.
- Movie Scores
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Much like listening to classical music, movie scores are a non-distracting way to still listen to music while still staying in that study space. This isn’t my go-to listen but I have friends who swear by a good Hans Zimmer or Max Steiner score to get them through assignments.
The score for “The Holiday” though – chef’s kiss!
- Motivational Tunes
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While I typically save this type of music for a good sweat-sesh, some people love the pump-up style of motivational music. Fast, loud, all-around good vibes. Kinda like you’re in a club in Ibiza, while in reality, you are in your student house with Airpods in.
Here is a fav of mine: - Nature Noises
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If you didn’t go through a phase of falling asleep to rain – then props to you. I was a big fan of listening to thunderstorms to fall asleep and always found the natural noises to be calming. This is perfect for studying when you are already stressed – why listen to something that is going to amp up your stress levels even more? I’m also a big fan of putting a burning fireplace video on in the background and listening to the crackling embers – very cozy.
Youtube is a great source to find nature and weather-based playlists and videos!
– Thunderstorm
– Fireplace
– Nature - Holiday-themed
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With the holiday season just around the corner, why not make finals the pre-game for the festivities? Blast some classics or modern re-makes to get yourself motivated to push through!
A few tips/reminders for studying this finals seasons:
- Use headphones!
- Have dance breaks!
- Always have snacks!
- Take care of your mental and physical health!
- Remember your intelligence and self-worth are NOT defined by a final grade!
And when the finals are done and there is truly nothing more to do with the term – you celebrate. And every celebration deserves some good music. So, turn up those study playlists or find something a little more celebratory – whatever you want! Finals are done – it’s your world now!