Focusing on school work is hard. It’s a challenge that involves drafting your own schedules, managing your own time, balancing work/school/social life. I honestly struggle with everything on my plate. I do a great job of setting goals and timelines to get my work done, and do an even better job of stressing so much that I ruin my timeline and spend a week doing nothing but watching the entirety Parks and Rec on Netflix for the third time.
One of the biggest motivational pushes for me has been the music I listen to while I study, and I’m going to share a few of the playlists with you. I find my biggest inspiration in OST’s from movies, shows, and games, so my playlists are going to feature my favorite soundtracks. Soundtracks always help me study since they have a general sense of progression that always makes me feel like I’m proceeding and succeeding as well as giving me the general feeling of being the most important person ever. I love having my own battle music while I study.
1. Furi
Furi is an all-boss combat game for PC and Playstation made by the GameBakers. It features beautiful art, amazing character design, and gameplay. It also features one of the most beautiful gaming soundtracks I’ve ever heard. It’s a mix of instrumental and industrial, and motivates me to study like I’m about to walk into my life’s biggest boss battle. You can listen to the whole soundtrack on a playlist on Youtube.
2. Westworld
Westworld is a mess of an HBO show, which is honestly how I’d describe any HBO shows. It’s story line is insane and had me simultaneously angry and on the edge of my seat every week. The show has a phenomenal soundtrack featuring instrumental western covers of some modern day songs like “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden and “Paint it Black” by The Rolling Stones. Ramin Djawadi is the mastermind behind this amazing soundtrack and you can listen to it here.
3. Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus is a Playstation2 game from 2005 with a cult following. The sequel/spin-off The Last Guardian just came out for PS4. The soundtrack features mellow, instrumental themes, with beautiful motifs and flowing sound. It’s perfectly peaceful and uplifting. The entire soundtrack by Kou Otani is here.
4. Stranger Things
Stranger Things is a Netflix original sci-fi series with an awesome soundtrack. The soundtrack is very synth-industrial, and all instrumental. The soundtrack does an amazing job of making me feel like I’m living a story. It’s ethereal and otherworldly, and I’m mesmerized by the sound. Listen here.
5. How to Train Your Dragon
So, I love How to Train Your Dragon. I saw it nine times in theaters, bought the dvd the second it came out, and my house is covered in merchandise. I even have a tattoo planned. John Powell does a mind blowing job on the soundtrack. The soundtrack is very upbeat, with billowing lows and highs, and makes me feel like I’m literally soaring around on a dragon. Way better than doing homework, but motivational enough to make me do my homework. Youtube playlist is here.
6. Undertale
Undertale wins the spot for my favorite video game. It’s an 8-bit PC adventure game created by Toby Fox that won my heart. It’s cute, heartwarming, uplifting, and can also destroy your soul if you let it. The soundtrack is very retro/gaming, with techno/synth vibes. It builds the world of Undertale and also gets stuck in your head very easily. I could very easily listen to Spear of Justice or Megalovania on repeat forever. The soundtrack can be found here.
7. Mad Max: Fury Road
This soundtrack is a bit heavier, with Inception-esque sounds and hard battle sequences, but I love it. It makes me feel like I’m fighting battles and racing across desolate, apocalyptic lands. It fires me up, makes me feel like I’m ready to take on anything. It’s haunting and mesmerizing. The soundtrack can be found here.
Studying is made a little easier with these amazing soundtracks to back me up. I stuck to instrumental themed songs, since words and lyrics can be distracting. I also featured a variety of more mellow soundtracks and heavier soundtracks to create a good mix of different kinds of uplifting music. I hope these help you guys focus and study to your heart’s extent!
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