I cannot put into words how happy I have been these past few months. At this very moment, I am approximately thirty-five days away from graduation. The idea of graduating is becoming so real every day that it’s probably not going to really hit me until I’m walking across the stage.  

I wanted to try out something a little differently this time and describe my five years as a Missouri State student in the form of five songs. MSU has been such a big part of my life that I thought it would be cool to see how that translates into the form of music. I definitely have continued to go through a lot and learn more about myself, so I decided to have some fun with it. I created this playlist in terms of how a song sounded or made me feel. I don’t want you to pay attention to the vocals but to the instrumental versions of these songs instead. 

My University Playlist  

Do Not Disturb-Mahalia 

During freshman year I was still figuring myself out after high school and just learning what it meant to be a college student. This was my first time living away from my family and having so much responsibility. So, this particular song depicts the highs and lows that I faced during my first year.  

Panic! At The Disco-High Hopes 

My sophomore year was a hard one, but I overcame my freshman year, and I came out stronger. I got my first job at CAST (Center for Academic Success and Transitions) as a peer mentor, and I met two of my closest friends to this day. I was happy with my academic performance and my effort to try things that I’d never done before. My sophomore year prepared me for whatever the world had to throw at me. 

Lonely-Noah Cyrus  

This was around the time that I was dealing with some personal losses in my family and around the time of the pandemic. I was sad about my time on campus getting cut short and being unable to see any of my friends. In addition to all that my family is a big part of why I wanted to pursue a degree and I was struggling to overcome missing some of the most important people in my life. 

Blinding Lights-The Weekend  

What was supposed to be the final year became my second to last year at MSU. I felt more solidified with what I was doing and how I was performing academically. I was meeting more people and just making the effort to do well in some of my hardest classes. This year was bittersweet because my journey at Missouri State was ending, but I, unfortunately, needed an extra year. 

Golden Hour-JVKE 

I like to call this year ‘Super Senior’ but in all honesty, what do you call it? I decided to split my last year of classes into on-campus classes and online classes. I tried some new places in Springfield and tried different study spots on campus. Recently, I’ve been at home spending time with my family, finishing my last four classes online, and fulfilling my role as a peer mentor for the last time. I’ve been working my way toward graduation and I’m so excited to get there.  

Takeaways

I listened to music every chance that I could get walking on campus past the fountain, the library, and all the other buildings. When I was listening to music it carried me from class to class and kept me motivated every day. I want to be the one to tell you that college is a big part of your life and can be represented in a multitude of ways. That could be through your habits or even through some personal tips and tricks that you can adapt into your life. You can always check out my previous blog posts, to get more of an idea of the tips and tricks that worked for me. My time as a college student isn’t going to be the same as someone else’s but I’ll gladly share my experience, so you have resources at your fingertips to give you a leg up whenever you need it.
 

“How is it that music can, without words, evoke our laughter, our fears, our highest aspirations?” – Jane Swan

~Alexandria  

(Bio: I’m the middle child of seven kids in my immediate family. I’m currently a Senior Business major at Missouri State University.)