Music that encompasses midterm season

Everything sucks but you’ll ace those bad boys
By Sonam Kaloti, Arts Editor

‘I bet you thought your life would change but you’re sat’ in the class again, nibbling your pencil and internally screaming.

Alright, I’ll say it: midterms are the worst. I’m sure some will agree that they’re even worse than finals. At least with finals it’s the end of the road and once you’re done you can breathe a sigh of relief that the semester is over. Midterms, however, are exhaustive. You’re already exhausted mid-semester craving a break and suddenly bam—you have exams and projects whose deadlines sneak up on you better than the best of robbers.

Worst of all is that once you’re done, you just keep going! Luckily in the winter semester there’s a reading break, but who’s really using that time to catch some air when you have fifteen projects due the first day back to school? If you’re feeling all alone crushed under the weight of your million responsibilities, there’s one thing you can look to that will always understand your troubled emotions: music.

Here are some songs that represent midterm season and all its woes:

“This Feels Like the End” by Nothing But Thieves

“Oh, look at this place, what a waste, it’s such a mess / We skim through the horror to find some happiness,” begins the first line in this politically-fueled track. When it comes to exams, it really does feel like the end (as Nothing But Thieves continues: “is this ever gonna end?”).

Overall, this song encompasses the dread-filled anger which consumes us when we ruminate on the current situation of the world at whole. I would suggest this one to mosh to during your study break.

“Days Are Gone” by HAIM

Sure, this song is about a relationship, but what’s a more toxic relationship than countless sleepless nights with textbooks and a fifth cup of coffee?

A verse begins with “Felt like I was walking on a tight rope / Those days are gone” and while a tight rope might be the perfect metaphor for how you feel, remember that the rope will end, and there’s always a net to catch you should you fall.

This is an upbeat, and honestly happy song that is sure to lift your spirits. Plus, there’s a nostalgia that seems to settle in when times are stressful that this song touches on, but the song still works more to remind you that everything will work out. What’s there to be missing? You’re chasing success and you’re going to kill these exams.

“I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)” by The 1975

“I bet you thought your life would change but you’re sat” in the class again, nibbling your pencil and internally screaming.

It’s not a secret that suicides in young people peak during exams. Information from a study done in the UK in 2016 by the Office for National Statistics, along with research by the University of Manchester’s National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, finds that of the number of suicides of people 35 and younger, around 29 percent of them were going through exams or waiting on exam results.  

So, take it easy on yourself. Exams may feel like the end of the world, but truly, it is just school, and it is meant to contribute to your success not your downfall. Take a break if you need it and prioritize your health over pressure from intangible expectations.

If you or anyone you know is in danger, please reach out to your local health authority or Canada’s National Suicide Prevention Service 833-456-4566.