Regardless of whether your commute to class is 20 minutes or an hour and 20, there is always a need to keep distracted — especially in the snowy season! Music is the perfect pastime. Not only can you bury your hands deep in your pockets, but it is also a great escape from the everyday stress of schoolwork and assignments. Here are 10 tracks to do just that.

1. “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, 2004

This killer throwback to the early 2000s provides a strong sense of nostalgia for anyone who enjoys singing along to what can be described as a former emo-teen anthem. The steady beat and easy-to-remember lyrics will have you reminiscing about your childhood, forgetting about your long, overcrowded daily commute.

2. “I Like It” by Cardi B, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, 2018

Cardi B has once again blessed us with a song that not only has a great backtrack but also fun lyrics delivered by a host of talented collaborators. This upbeat song almost guarantees the overwhelming need to dance — or if you’re on the subway or bus, maybe just some light head bobbing.

3. “Youngblood” by 5 Seconds of Summer, 2018

The solid lyrics and beat provided by the Australian boy band will at the very least provide a distraction from even the worst commute. At the very best, it will make you want to sing along with full fervor in the middle of a crowded subway car.

4. “Jesus of Suburbia” by Green Day, 2004

This is another throwback song that will remove you from your lengthy, tumultuous journey. Green Day provide an upbeat tempo and elaborate guitar solos that will definitely leave you feeling hyped up and ready for whatever the day has to offer.

5. “Scar Tissue” by Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1999

The relaxed tempo of this song, along with the gentle riff of the guitar solos, is a great way to set a chill tone for the start of a day. It is also perfect to help you unwind while commuting back home after a long day of class.

6. “Kiwi” by Harry Styles, 2017

The high energy of this song, as well as the great vocals from our favourite ex-member of One Direction — cue tears — allow for an incredibly entertaining commute. I dare you not to bop along to the fun beat and amusing lyrics.

7. “Cough Syrup” by Young the Giant, 2010

Easy breezy listening with this mellow tune. It creates a strong sense of nostalgia, helping you lose yourself in whimsical thought. Nothing passes time better than daydreaming about joyous memories and the past, and this song will definitely take you back there.

8. “Cigarette Daydreams” by Cage the Elephant, 2013

Nothing says ‘chill’ like the soft serenade of an acoustic guitar. Whether you are on your way to lecture or on the way home, this song allows you to easily get lost in your thoughts and forget about the stress of the day.

9. “In My Feelings” by Drake, 2018

Despite topping the charts and sparking a viral online challenge months ago, this song is still as hype as ever. It has a great vibe and reduces any lengthy commute with its solid beat and entertaining lyrics.

10. “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen, 1978

There is nothing like an old school classic. This song is a bit of a throwback, but being serenaded by Freddie Mercury is still as great now as it was 40 years ago. The jazzy, incredibly upbeat sound of this song will make any journey feel like breeze.

Here’s a list of movies for all your summer watching needs.

For beach vibes: Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Honourable mention: The Descendants

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is set in balmy Hawaii, amid palm trees and dreamy ocean waves. Between Kristen Bell in a pink bikini and Mila Kunis with a white tropical flower tucked behind her ear, this movie is sure to make you wish you could leave city life behind to join the characters in a warm haze of sand, cocktails, and bathing suits. Also, Paul Rudd as a surf instructor is officially my summer chillness guru.

For thriller vibes: Jaws

Honourable mention: I Know What You Did Last Summer

Famously featuring a great white shark devastating unwitting beachgoers, this movie is ideal for those of us who want to both get in the summer spirit and are in the mood for mystery and suspense. With its marvellously tense soundtrack mingled with a summer resort aesthetic, Jaws is a great way to add a surreal creepiness to an otherwise tranquil summer day.

For romance vibes: Call Me by Your Name

Honourable mention: (500) Days of Summer

Set in the small town of Crema in northern Italy, this movie is a delicious exploration of the ups and downs of summer love. Call Me by Your Name captures the salacious heat of summertime lust, the playfulness of a fast-paced friendship, and the excitement of pursuing someone forbidden. You can witness the blissful sensuality of falling in love against a technicolour backdrop of tall grasses and shaded ponds. It also isn’t a real summer romance film unless there’s a strange sex scene involving fruit, and Call Me by Your Name certainly delivers on that front.  

For innocent Disney vibes: Moana

Honourable mention: Lilo and Stitch

It’s an animated movie about a strong young woman embracing her passion for the ocean by defying the confining boundaries of her island — you can’t watch it without developing an unshakeable desire for adventure. Featuring a dazzling but deadly crab, a beautiful grass-covered goddess who finds her heart, and songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda at his finest — Moana inspires you to take the voyage across the ocean — whatever your own metaphorical ocean may be.

For horror vibes: It

Honourable mention: Friday the 13th

This coming-of-age movie about finding friendship during a time of adversity is often punctuated by characters groaning that it’s summer break, a time for relaxing and having fun, not fighting monsters. It is perfect for those of us who disagree and think the whole point of summer break is fighting monsters.   

For showbiz glam vibes: Almost Famous

Honourable mention: La La Land

If summer is the time when you repress all the biology facts you’ve been cramming in your brain and return to your childhood fantasies of living a rock-and-roll lifestyle, this is the movie for cultivating your delusions. Almost Famous is about a young hopeful journalist on the road with a bus full of washed-up rockstars and glamorous groupies — the summer road trip of your dreams.

For childhood nostalgia vibes: High School Musical 2

Honourable mention: The Parent Trap

This movie asks “what time is it?” for us to all yell back, in perfect unison, “SUMMERTIME!” High School Musical 2 has a song for every summer scenario: summer job doldrums, perfecting that fabulous poolside aesthetic, the inevitable breakup after a summer romance fizzles, angsty soul searching on the golf course, and, for some reason, a “pineapple princess” pining after a fish with a long, complicated Hawaiian name.

For ‘80s classics vibes: Dirty Dancing

Honourable mention: National Lampoon’s Vacation

With its iconic soundtrack and killer dance numbers, this movie will make you long for those days of family vacations. Except this time, instead of wasting your holiday sunbathing and begging your older sister to sneak you mojitos from the bar, you could be falling in love with the resort’s dance instructor to the tune of your favourite ‘80s pop songs.

For teenage revelry vibes: Meatballs

Honourable mention: American Pie 2

If summer makes you nostalgic for high school (shudder), then you probably spent your teenage years partying at your friend’s beach house, or drunkenly singing songs around a bonfire. Meatballs, however, will make you wish you had spent your summers as a camp counsellor — the main duties of which are apparently playing pranks and scoring chicks. This film will make you pine for the semi-innocence of those blissful teenaged summers.

For musical vibes: Mamma Mia

Honourable mention: Grease

Amanda Seyfried’s character is a makeup-free, beachy-haired goddess who always has a bathing suit on underneath her white summery blouse, in case she needs to frantically chase after a retreating boat. Spoiler: she does. She lives on a fictional Greek island called “Kalokairi” that is essentially a slice of heaven. The crystalline ocean and Mediterranean architecture of the island would also make me want to periodically burst into song. To me, the soundtrack to this movie is the soundtrack of summer.