Lucy Jude Grantham urges you to choose your fighter and lock into listening with these tunes
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If you’re anything like me, you rely on a good song to keep yourself motivated while frantically typing up an essay that’s due in an hour and a half. Honestly, how can you possibly lock in if your work tunes are lacking? But when you’re faced with a mound of last-minute required reading, the prospect of hunting down the perfect accompanying Spotify playlist is nothing short of overwhelming. The options are seemingly endless.
I consulted Cambridge’s most seasoned study playlist buffs (my Instagram followers) to find out what fellow students are listening to in the library… and the results were delightful and disturbing in equal measure. Stick on your headphones: it’s time to choose your fighter and unlock your new study soundtrack.
We all know one. The type of person who can distinguish their Brahms from their Beethoven in approximately 0.04 seconds. And they don’t sigh when Amol Rajan asks University Challenge contestants to identify Mendelssohn instead of Madonna. The consulted Cambridge connoisseurs tell me that there’s nothing better than a Baroque sonata or Romantic symphonic poem during an intense lock-in session at the University Library.
Apparently, it’s been scientifically proven that listening to classical music improves your focus… and Einstein credited his Bach-listening for some of his best work. So it should be good enough for my seventeen-minute revision session, right?
Top picks:
Sometimes you just have to live deliciously. When everything feels like it’s getting a little too heavy, why not add a dash of whimsy into your life? Whether it’s the smooth and atmospheric synth strings of Twin Peaks or the lively rhythms of the Fantastic Mr Fox score, every successful essay needs its own film soundtrack. The opportunities are eternal with this one.
Top picks:
Beware the Jazzerwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Grab your beret and a diabolical amount of caffeine – it’s time to pretend you’re a true sophisticated intellectual. There’s nothing quite like jazz to help you feel like a 1950s Beat poet while you’re typing away over a steaming Americano. Bonus points if you’re wearing a polo neck or performatively reading some obscure novel. Just try not to start scatting at passersby.
All jokes aside, the jazz cats who landed in my DMs were all very keen to tell me that you don’t have to be an expert to enjoy the genre.
Top picks:
What beats a synth beat? If you want your head to be bopping in the King’s Parade Caffè Nero, these are the picks for you. (Just don’t blame me when a local asks if you’re experiencing a medical emergency).
Top picks:
When you reach essay crisis point, the conventional picks just won’t cut it. If you truly need a miracle, why not push the boat out and try something a little distinctive?
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Top picks:
Side quest complete! Congratulations, your new study soundtrack is officially unlocked. I hope you found something that tickled your eardrums and padded out your playlist. And if not, I don’t really give a rap. Stay out of treble, players.
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