An Ode to Finals Week: The Playlist PSU Needs

Finals week at Penn State is full of highs and lows. Some people are stressed out of their minds with crammed information in their brain, while others are relaxing with no final in sight (must be nice!). Regardless of your situation, finals week is full of emotional moments that make the week more stressful. One thing that always relieves stress is music! With this, VALLEY will be breaking down a playlist of songs that accommodate the many moments and stressors of finals week.

Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots

This song is for all our VALLEY readers that are really stressed out! While the song speaks for itself, this can be a song that correlates the most to how most Penn State students are feeling — stressed out! The tone and the message of turning back time to the good old days remind us of the desire to get through finals and go back to relaxing.

Eye of the Tiger by Survivor

This song is for anybody that needs more motivation to study or get through any final project. This song is most known for being played in the 1982 film “Rocky lll.” This is because this song envokes the motivation to go through the grit and work hard, no matter what. This song is a resource for any Penn State student that needs the extra motivation to get through studying and finals week.

Ima Boss by Meek Mill feat. Rick Ross

This song is for THAT moment when you are feeling primed and ready to finally take your final! The heavy hip-hop beats, blaring horns and the aggressive 808 are a great combination that gets anyone ready and confident enough to face any challenge that is presented to them.

I’m So Excited by The Pointer Sisters

This is song is for the feeling of excitement one has after all the studying and test-taking is over! The melody and the lyrics speak for themselves. The upbeat tempo and the happy vocals emulate the joy and excitement that correlate to the feeling of being done with finals!

The Good Part by AJR

This is another song that is good for the feeling of accomplishing something after a hard week. This is a great song that correlates with the EXACT moment when you know you are done with everything. When the song skips to the good part the chorus of ah’s captures that feeling of relief.

Sunroof by Nicky Youre, dazy

This is another song for the feeling of calmness and relaxation after you are done with all of your projects for finals week. Released in 2021, this song has increased in popularity on the social media platform TikTok. This is because people are addicted to the happy melody and the upbeat tempo that gives the feeling of positivity through all the la-da-dee-da-dee-das.

Hymn for the Weekend by Coldplay

This song is one of those songs that is good for relaxing and trying to reach a sense of calmness. The increase of the music and the chords going from a subtle relaxed tone to a progression of chords towards the chorus emulates a feeling of freedom and release.

Strawberry Skies by Kid Travis

Lastly, this song is for the very final moment of the semester — packing up all your things and driving straight into the summer season. This is a song for the road trip back to your hometown with the feeling of relaxation. As you are traveling through the wind, all your anxieties will wash away and there will be nothing left but the air of tranquility.

What songs do you like to listen to during finals week? Let us know by tweeting us @VALLEYmag on Twitter!

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