In the midst of a semester, a good music rotation is key. You need your songs for walking to class, studying, hanging out with friends, or for relaxing after a long day. We polled QUEST students on which songs have been essential this fall and compiled them in a playlist linked HERE for everyone to enjoy! This playlist is collaborative so please add your favorite songs! Read below to hear more about why QUEST students have been enjoying their selected songs.
QUEST Fall Collaborative Playlist
Utsa Santhosh (Cohort 33): Paper Rings by Taylor Swift
“I discovered this song on my family’s road trip from Maryland to Austin. It’s a really upbeat and very happy song, and now it reminds me of my family whenever I listen to it”
Allie Strouse (Cohort 33): A Little Bit of Everything by Keith Urban
“[This song] reminds me to be happy and grateful for what I have and to be appreciative of the little things in life.”
Mansi Reddy (Cohort 33): Pears by Weston Estate
“I found [this band] on TikTok, and they are an Indian boy band. Super cool study music!”
Tanu Kulkarni (Cohort 34): Gravity by John Mayer
“I like to listen to this song when I’m doing work as a way to calm me down and keep me focused. Also, you can never go wrong with John Mayer.”
Heather Bacon (Cohort 34): I Want You Around by Snoh Aalegra featuring 6LACK
I found this song on TikTok, and it’s been on repeat ever since! It’s really relaxing, and I especially love to listen to it when walking to class.
Morgan Hoffman (Cohort 34): Ride My Bike by Maude Latour
“I’ve been listening to this song a ton this semester. It’s my first semester on campus with a bike, and I listen to it every time I ride my bike hehe.”
Kevin Senkus (Cohort 34): Shivers by Ed Sheeran
“I barely listen to pop music but this Ed Sheeran song actually slaps. I’ve been listening to it for the past 3 days straight.”
Gabby Williams (Cohort 35): Fair Trade by Drake
“ I listen to this song while walking to my 9:30 a.m. finance class all the way from The View”
Alexia Ayuk (Cohort 36): Talk 2 U by Brent Faiyaz
“This song embodies cozy. Anytime it comes on, I have to play it all the way through.”
Ishaan Kapur (Cohort 36): Best Days by Alessia Cara
“[I love this song] one, because I missed her music and I’m so glad she dropped it but two because it’s about just being idle in life and makes you think about how you should not just spend your life passing the time.”
Jetta Chen (Cohort 36): Encinitas by Goth Babe ft. Louis the Child
“This was one of my favorite songs over the summer so it reminds me of driving with my windows down in the warm sun with friends. I also love both Goth Babe & Louis the Child so this collaboration makes me really happy!”
Autumn Geisler (Cohort 37): I Feel It by Jon Bellion
“He’s one of my favorite artists, and the song is basically being able to feel the changes in your relationships with people. Basically being able to feel the subtle changes before you know your friendship with someone is fading or something isn’t right. I think it is artistically really well done, and I can relate to feeling my relationships with people change and coming to terms with losing someone you have cared for.”
Will Ahn (Cohort 37): Glass of Water by Coldplay
“Coldplay’s album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, is a musical masterpiece from the late 2000s with themes drawing from humanity including life, death, and war. Its beautiful lyrical and instrumental composition is an emotional journey and adventure to embark on whether it’s on a car trip up I-270, a late-night study session in the QUEST lab, or an album to sleep to.
From the album, I absolutely love the song “Glass of Water” where I’ve used this song to help cope with the stress and anxieties that I have for the past and future. Through this song, I’ve learned to try to live more within the present and to focus on the things that matter the most to me, especially as we come back to in-person activities and daily living.”
Ayman Bootwala (Cohort 38): Ms. Jackson by Outkast
“I really like this song because it has some nostalgia for me because I used to listen to it when I was younger. The clean version then, of course. But now it has a good beat that gets me moving especially when I had a difficult day, and I don’t have the time to take a nap instead of continuing to work.”