The first day of classes can be daunting for some but couldn’t come faster for others. Whichever type of Golden Bear you are, you’re surely excited to be back on campus, to meet your friends and to start that spring semester grind. In true UC Berkeley spirit, the semester will undoubtedly be difficult, but this back-to-school playlist will help you get through it with a spring in your step! These songs reflect many of the challenges that we, Golden Bears, are likely to face this spring semester.
1. “I Miss You” by Clean Bandit featuring Julia Michaels: As you leave your family and other loved ones after the relaxing winter holidays, you might feel some subconscious resentment toward UC Berkeley for pulling you away from everything you deem perfect. This song is dedicated to those souls you left behind to battle the spring semester.
2. “Another Brick In the Wall” by Pink Floyd: Roger Waters and the rest of Pink Floyd dropped out of college and evidently it worked out well for them. “We don’t need no education”? Well, I’ll let you decide that for yourselves.
3. “Look Alive” by BlocBoy JB featuring Drake: Listen to this song the next time you’re walking across campus to those ridiculously early 8 a.m. classes. It also makes for a great alarm in the morning, so wake up to this sick beat next time you’re groggily deciding whether to attend lecture.
4. “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers In Your Hair)” by Scott McKenzie: We all take those impulsive trips to San Francisco, be it to ice skate or to shop for shoes. Berkeley is a great town, but sometimes we just have to remind ourselves that there is a world outside of midterms, Moffitt Library and course captures.
5. “Everyday” by Logic and Marshmello: Now that we’re back from a trip to SF, it’s time to get back to the Berkeley grind. This is my personal favorite hype song and it’s bound to get you pumped to hit those books.
6. “Bank Account” by 21 Savage: This semester, let’s celebrate those post-midterm wins or Ls taken at Taco Bell and Boba Ninja with this song in mind. Do we have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight Ms in our bank account? Probably not. But we can always act like we do!
7. “Shots” by LMFAO featuring Lil Jon: Oops, this song should’ve come before the previous one. Just remember to have fun, because we need to power through finals season after this!
8. “I’m Upset” by Drake: Dead week is upon us and most of you will be able to relate strongly to this song by this point. We’re all in the same boat: tired, grumpy and most importantly, upset. Nevertheless, I promise we’re going to get through this, just one more week to go!
9. “Independence Day” by 5 Seconds of Summer: Congrats! You’ve made it. You’re free … until next semester, of course. If you’re a senior, good luck out there in the real world.
10. “Fight for California” by Earl Elleson McCoy and Robert N. Fitch: This iconic Cal spirit song is ingrained in the minds of every Golden Bear. We should be like “our sturdy Golden Bear” throughout the semester, no matter the obstacles.
Bonus song: “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley: Sometimes you may feel like UC Berkeley is metaphorically Rickrolling you.In these moments, you just have to remind yourself that your fellow Bears have been in your position and you can do this, too!
Hopefully, this playlist can give you that extra encouragement you need to trek from south campus to north campus in the rainy spring days this semester.
Contact Ahan Sabharwal at [email protected] .
