After two weeks of winter term, I’ve noticed my classmates, friends and colleagues all expressing a similar malaise regarding this semester. 

It seems that, much like myself, people were burned out well before the holiday break.

I feel like the late arrival of winter somehow messed up my internal system. The lack of a true blue winter during the holidays had my brain forgetting due dates, mixing up times, dampening my mood and enabling general thoughtlessness. 

While the cause of this burnout and general exhaustion that feels unique to the 2023-24 academic year is uncertain, if the simultaneously humorous yet concerning UM Reddit posts are anything to go by, the student demographic is feeling it. 

During my lurking on social media out of a desire to know how other students are faring, I found there is an uptick in students struggling to balance and get through the academic year. 

Students are expressing intersecting struggles, including several complaints since the fall term about ungodly amounts of chattiness in designated quiet and or study spaces, and I empathize with them. 

So, in a means of attempted solidarity and understanding, I’ve created a mixtape of pop, electronic and alternative songs that I hope will act as a cathartic release to the frustrations my fellow U of M survivors are experiencing. 

Personally, when I’m fed up, I love to wallow for a minute as a means of validating myself, licking my wounds before moving on to solutions.

This playlist embodies that concept. It contains several tracks that are meant to validate before travelling into the realm of motivation. It ends off with a track by U of M local, Faouzia, who has likely experienced the same winter term blues as the rest of you.

I hope these tracks keep you company as you trek through the winter snow to get to your classes on time. While summer might seem millions of years away, every day that passes is one day closer to freedom. 

 

brutal — Olivia Rodrigo, SOUR 

Deceptacon — Le Tigre, Le Tigre 

Hard Times — Paramore, After Laughter 

Gone — Charli XCX, Christine and the Queens, Charli

Flesh Without Blood — Grimes, Art Angels 

We Got the Power (feat. Jehnny Beth) — Gorillaz, Jehnny Beth, Humanz (Deluxe) 

Kids — MGMT, Oracular Spectacular

Team — Lorde, Pure Heroine 

Before the World Was Big — Girlpool, Before The World Was Big 

This Mountain — Faouzia, This Mountain