Half the battle of class for a college student is having to make the long trip to get there.
Yet thanks to advancements in modern technology, there are some ways to make the trek better, such as walking with some good music.
Grace Weir, a freshman in the College of Communication, was stopped midway through a Spotify playlist enthusiastically titled “Have a Great Day,” listening to AC/DC’s rock classic “Highway to Hell.” While some might raise an eyebrow at the song’s potential to be uplifting upon glancing at its title, Weir said that it’s the feel of a song that is most important to her.
“I make my playlists by the mood of the different songs,” Weir said.
Other playlists were made with the intention of relaxing or focusing, such as Caroline Schmetike’s, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Schmetike was stopped listening to Labyrinth’s “Beneath Your Beautiful” and said that she’d turned on her “Sleepy” playlist for the evening. “It’s been a gray day. It’s been kind of tired,” Schmetike said. “So I think … I’m going to go (to sleep).”
Rather than choosing a general playlist, some students had specific inspiration for their music picks of the day.
Sarah Collins, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she was inspired by the homecoming concert. She now often listens to the event opener, AJR.
“I didn’t know them from before, aside from like the two or three songs that were on the radio,” Collins said. “But (after the concert) I started listening to them more, and they have a lot of relatable songs that I really like.”
Others said they built playlists inspired by longstanding love for a certain tune or high school nostalgia. One of whom was Yasa Mehki, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, who was listening to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” on her stroll across campus.
“We sang [Bohemian Rhapsody] a lot in chorus in high school, and it really is a jam,” Mehki said. “I mostly listen to it in the shower, but hey … why not (now)?”
My dad recommended it. He said I needed to start reading more.
— Jack Styzinski
A direct recommendation prompted Jack Styzinski, a sophomore in the College of Business, to listen to an audiobook about the auto industry.
“My dad recommended it,” Styzinski said. “He said I needed to start reading more.”
While Styzinski made the deliberate choice to take some fatherly advice, plenty of students simply hit shuffle and go.
From the classic oldie “I Want You to Want Me,” by Cheap Trick, to the soulful, slow jam “Because of You,” by Neyo, all the way to the eclectic, new hip-hop single “Take It All In,” by Russ ft. Rexx Life Raj, mindless pushes of a button were to be credited for what someone was listening to at any moment.
Just like the school day ahead, a playlist on shuffle leaves a listener never knowing what is coming next.