The soundtrack to your study success

“How you set for the exams man?” “Ah grand like, you know yourself, it’ll be fine, I’ve been doing a few bits here and there d’ju know like.”But you haven’t been doing a few bits, have you? Christ sake your mother would redden your arse if she knew. So there’s only one week of the semester to go, the days are dwindling and the deadlines are coming at you faster than the fear after College Christmas Day. It’s time to get down to the library or lock yourself in a room and get studying, you damn charlatan. Now, the importance of finely poised and balanced study soundtrack cannot be ignored. Whether you’re trawling through some medieval poetry, subjecting yourself to calculus or examining the inner workings of some science crap, tunes are a way to soothe the soul and relax the mind. Here’s my top 5 tracks to ease you into that zen-like place so you can achieve that 1:1 you so desperately crave.  

• Angel of Death  – Slayer

 Now, I don’t know about you, but a bearded American man wailing about Nazi physician Josef Mengele’s human experiments at Auschwitz *really* puts me in the form to knuckle down and learn those WB Yeats notes I’ve been ignoring since September. Also, this song can be used as an anthem to the probable shit-storm you’ll be facing into come December 8th.PRO TIP – I’d recommend placing this somewhere at the beginning of your playlist, so as to ease you in gently to the day of work that’s ahead of you.  

• How To Disappear Completely - Radiohead

 “I’m not here, this isn’t happening, soon I’ll disappear..” Thom Yorke actually wrote this song midway through failing his 1st year BIS Christmas exam, the anti-theatre of dreams that is the Neptune Stadium was allegedly the core inspiration. Use the Radiohead frontman’s traumatic experiences as a fuel for your own study. G’man Thom, you happy boy.  

• Loser – Beck

 Keeping morale high at exam time is an absolute must. Positive mental reinforcement, you’ve got this like. Let Grammy Award winner and surprising Scientologist Beck speak to you, he represents you, he will motivate you. Feel the song, be the song, you are… the song.  

• Basket Case – Green Day

 “Sometimes I give myself the creeps, sometimes my mind plays tricks on me, it all keeps adding up I think I’m cracking up, am I just paranoid or am I just stoned?” The stress of the exams can perhaps get to some people over the course of the month, and perhaps you may feel like Mr Armstrong above – however, I for one, hope you are not paranoid and are just stoned, you waster. They’re only exams lads, be grand!  

• I Know It’s Over – The Smiths

 Now, I’d recommend slotting this absolutely ferociously upbeat banger somewhere towards the end of your playlist. You’ve now realized that despite the copious amounts of Red Bull you’ve put into your system that the study won’t happen and all you’re left with is a terrible dose of the shits. “I know it's over, still I cling, I don’t know where else I can go…” Probably best to head to the jacks Morrissey lad, all the best.