This week in English class has been all about advice. What would we tell our eighth grade selves before we entered high school? What do we wish someone would have told us? How can a student best manage the personal, mental, emotional and social aspects of their lives? How do students find balance? What’s the secret to high school success?

I have very few answers to any of those questions. I can’t tell you the key to budgeting time, how to get a date to prom, or the best way to get through these difficult high school years. What I can tell you, though, is that I would not have gotten through high school without several (mostly female) (ok, and mostly pop) artists when the going got rough.

As I was instructed to write a letter to a freshmen entering high school, all I could think about was my playlist of motivational songs. Whenever I had to pull an all-nighter, I’d spend about half the time working and half the time spazzing out around my house while listening to my #motivationaltunes playlist.

These are my “Oh my god, it’s the night before the Trig final and I don’t think I’ve looked at any of this material for an entire month but I really want an A so it doesn’t look like sleep is a thing that will be happening tonight AHHHHH” songs. A strong formula is to work 10 minutes for every half hour of music – there is no other way to survive Calculus.

Put in some headphones. Accept the fact that a lot of this is prominently and brazenly terrible music. Jam it out. Everything will be okay. Then put on some tea, and get to work!

Good luck, Foothillians. Take the crisp challenge!

P.S. This is a collaborative Spotify playlist. Please feel free to add your favorite motivational songs, no matter the genre. Surviving high school is a group effort.