As a girl coming to the end of her freshman year, I wanted to create a playlist that covers everything you may feel during that first year. Within these 30 songs, you’ll find heartfelt lyrics with an upbeat tempo. These are for those times you want to sing out frustrations of homesickness, growing up, or whatever it may be without having to listen to a ballad that brings on tears. For times that you do want to wallow in sadness, there’s a few perfect songs to cry to as well. There’s fun, uplifting tracks for when you don’t want to think of anything besides being happy and a few songs for nights out you probably won’t remember. I would like to highlight a few songs that have a special place in my heart and I hope you enjoy and take away whatever you can from each of these songs.
- Going Away to College – Blink 182 (Open)
- Float on – Modest Mouse
- Good Times – All Time Low Here’s a shout out to my old punk days. I grew up with this band and Good Times off their most recent album Last Young Renegade gives the perfect level of nostalgia to fans who have followed them since their first EP. This is a song about growing up without it being too heavy and sad. It’s about moving on but not forgetting your past. Perfect for the freshman feeling like they have to completely reinvent themselves in college.
- Caught In The Middle – Paramore
- Old Friends (Jonas Blue Remix) – Jasmine Thompson
- Say Hi – Codeko I’m a few hours from home, that seemingly short distance can feel a lot longer when you don’t see the people you love everyday. Whether you have a significant other, best friend, anyone you miss who is in a different state, this perfectly sums up those long distance feelings of just wanting to hear that person’s voice and keeping in touch.
- Barlights – Fun.
- All Night – Walk the Moon
- Never Grow Up – Taylor Swift
- Comeback Kid (That’s My Dog) – Brett Dannen
- New Rules – Dua Lipa
- What Do I Know – Ed Sheeran
- That’s Right – Cage the Elephant
- Home – Phillip Phillips
- Hold On – Shawn Mendes With our generational focus on ending the stigma of mental health, I think this song is especially important to address. College brings a whole element of stress you will never experience until you’re here. Anxiety is something that has been amplified during my first year, and if that’s the case for you, I think this song is a great three minute reminder that you can keep going. If you really like Shawn Mendes, there’s a few other songs by him that summarize anxiety pretty well, check out “In My Blood” and “A Little Too Much”.
- Coming Of Age – Foster The People
- Everyday – Logic, Marshmello
- Put Your Records On – Corinne Bailey Rae
- Caskets – Party Favor
- Weightless – All Time Low
- Take Your Time (Acoustic) – Fun.
- FRIENDS – Marshmello
- Party Monster – The Weeknd
- On My Own – Niall Horan
I love the vibe of this song, it’s one big celebration of being happy and at peace when you only have yourself for company. Being happy alone is so important. If you’re coming to college in a situation similar to mine you don’t really know anybody for a few months, there will be times you have to find a way to enjoy those moments where it’s just you. - Change – Taylor Swift
- Not Today – Twenty One Pilots
- The Middle – Jimmy Eat World
- Bibia Be Ye Ye – Ed Sheeran
- Simple Song – The Shins
- Believer – American Authors (Closer)