By Rachel Dennehy
Whether you have just received your long-awaited exam results and are preparing to start college for the first time or you are returning for another year, regardless of where you are at, college season is here and with that comes a mix of emotions. Whether you are feeling excited, anxious, or silently dreading it, music can help us understand these feelings and even give us a brighter or new perspective, or simply just allow us to feel the way we are about certain things out of our control. Here, I will suggest some songs that can be interpreted in the context of returning to university that evoke both positive and negative emotions ensuring that every feeling is represented.
August – Taylor Swift
One day you are sitting on the beach with your closest friends having the time of your life and then everywhere it hits you that this feeling is about to end, there is no avoiding it and really “august slipped away into a moment in time”, however, this song invites listeners to look back on memories fondly, feeling that sense of nostalgia and joy that you were experiencing as you look to begin this new chapter and to note, this feeling will return and one day you will be looking back on your days in college fondly too.
Garden of Eden – Rachel Chinouriri
College seems to act as a permanent reminder of the fact that we are growing up and when I listened to this song for the first time, I could not help but think about the whole college experience and how quickly time changes from when you sit your Leaving Certificate exams to receiving your college offer. Suddenly, you are in charge of your life without notice and as Rachel Chinouriri sings there is no avoiding growing up and rather you should not let anyone judge the way you are living or doing whatever makes you happy as we will all grow up in the end.
When We Were Young – Adele
College season has a tendency to evoke a nostalgic feeling in all of us especially the closer we get to the finish line, in regards to this song, it especially hits as a final year student embarking on their last year in college as it makes you think back on your childhood and even your earlier years in college with joy and fondness but also a sense of excitement as you look towards the future and remember you are making younger you proud as you continue to achieve the unthinkable.
Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys
Sometimes we just need a confidence banger when we feel like our walls have crumbled as we succumb to the stress of university life, Girl on Fire reflects doubt of success and can essentially be seen as a rebirth where we put all these doubts aside and become the strongest version of ourselves. Whilst the song is not about a college setting students can certainly relate when we experience this feeling for ourselves, sometimes a feel-good anthem is all we need to feel a sense of strength which had been absent in our lives.
Wings – Little Mix
We do not necessarily need every song to relate to college to feel something, this song simply makes the list as a feel-good anthem that acts as an instant serotonin boost that also boasts a powerful message that basically says that you are capable of anything, and nobody can bring you down.
The Show – Niall Horan
Life is a story and college acts as a single chapter which will come with uncertainties and bumps in the road. This song explores the uncertainties of life, and this can certainly be applied to college as unfortunately not everything always goes the way we wish it would, as Niall Horan discusses on the track there is a desire to be in control, but life does not work that way and therefore we, as humans must find alternative measures to reach our final goal. The core takeaway from this song sheds a light on the idea that if it feels like we are not achieving our goal directly, it does not mean it will not happen but rather we need to work to put the pieces together to make it happen in an often-eccentric way. For students, this is familiar as often we experience difficult assignments or exams and worry that this could impact our entire grade but rather, we need to just look at things in a new light.
Stick Season – Noah Kahan
This song rounds up your back to college playlist eloquently as it cultivates a feeling of great energy combined with devastating lyrics that make the listener view life in a more intricate perspective. The song reflects on life and how it does not always go the way that we expect, and this certainly can be applied to the complexities of university life and serve as a source of motivation to keep going as what is meant for you will find you even if the path you need to take is longer than intended.
Returning to college is an exciting time, but undeniably there is always a sense of uncertainty and anxiety whether you are only at the beginning or nearing the end of your university journey. Lucky for you there is a song to sum up whatever you may be feeling and as cringe as it may sound, these feelings do not last forever and you will survive the hardships of college, remember to have some fun and make powerful memories.