It’s a Monday and waking up for class seems like the hardest task in the world. Once you’re finally up and ready to go, you have a whole new challenge: getting up the hill. The best way to remedy this? Putting in some earbuds and jamming out to some good tunes.

If you’re like me, you always have at least one headphone in on the trek up and down the hill. No matter your music taste, cranking up that certain playlist really gets your brain cells pumping and ready for the day. If you’re looking for some new tunes to add to your “get going” playlist, you’ve come to the right place.

Here are my top five songs for the semester so far.

1. “Still Beating” by Mac DeMarco

This song has the smoothest sound that makes you feel like it’s still Saturday. Unfortunately, if you’re walking to class it’s not Saturday, but the laid-back vocals will ease your school morning blues. This sweet song will always be a favorite.

2. “Another One Bites” the Dust by Queen

From the bottom of my heart, I love Queen. Walking around campus and listening to this song is destined to get you amped up. It’s nearly impossible to listen to this song and not walk to the beat. It may sound odd, but if we’re all marching around campus to the steady bass of “Another One Bites the Dust,” no one can laugh. No one.

3. “One Headlight” by The Wallflowers

Oh how I love Jakob Dylan’s sweet, sweet voice. If you want the feeling of riding around the countryside with the windows down, this is your song. Once you’ve listened, there’s no going back. It’s the best song to clear your mind of your schoolwork sorrows as you move from class to class.

4. “How Far We’ve Come” by Matchbox Twenty

A truly iconic piece of music. This song screams ‘2000s’ and makes you want to dance. You might not want to actually dance on your way to class, but there’s no reason your brain shouldn’t as you make your way across campus. This song will bring back the nostalgia of the ‘good ol’ days’ and make walking to your third class of the day slightly less bad.

5. “Dinosaurs Will Die” by NOFX

This song gets me amped up when I’m speeding to class. If you ignore the language, you have a perfect song about killing the corrupted music industry. What’s not to love? The song is hard and loud and everything you need to wake you up in the morning.

No matter what songs you jam out to, give these a listen and expand your musical horizons as you trek the hill five days a week. 

Features reporter Taylor Metcalf can be reached at 270-745-6291 and [email protected].