It’s that time of year. Fall means back-to-school season. It’s time to sharpen your No. 2 pencils (do kids still use pencils?) and fill up your new Ninja Turtles backpack with supplies. The summer has come to an end, and it’s now appropriate to turn your brain back on and learn. We know this can be tough. So, we’re here to help your journey go a little easier.

We wanted to share three songs that make going back to school a little easier. You might be shocked to find out that classic rock, on the whole, isn’t the biggest fan of sitting in a classroom all day and watching the chalkboard fill up with lessons. So, as learning begins to enter your world more, these are three classic rock songs that will help ease the burden.

“School’s Out” by Alice Cooper from ‘School’s Out’ (1972)

Before shock rocker Alice Cooper wrote this 1972 classic, he tried to figure out what the most thrilling moment of his life was. And what moment could he share with others? That’s when the light bulb went off—the last day of school! It brings such a thrill to every kid, and it’s a feeling we all remember years later. That’s when Cooper began writing this song, which essentially wrote itself. It’s now become one of those works that fans revisit year after year, almost like a favorite holiday movie.

“Hot For Teacher” by Van Halen from ‘1984’ (1984)

While Alice Cooper wrote about running out of the building on the last day of school, iconic 1980s rock band Van Halen wrote about a different feeling, one they knew well while sitting in class. Sometimes you’re lucky and you have a teacher who is so stunning that they take your mind off the math assignment at hand. That’s the dynamic Van Halen riffed on here. While it may not be a topic of conversation at the PTA meetings, it sure is a reality of public schools.

“Smokin’ In The Boys Room” by Brownsville Station from ‘Yeah!’ (1973)

There’s running out of school on the last day, there’s sitting there in class waiting for the time tick down, and then there’s sneaking into the bathroom to be mischievous. That’s what this 1973 rock song from Brownsville Station is all about. It doesn’t happen nearly as much these days, but back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, people would often run to the bathroom to smoke a cigarette and complain about the principal or their history teacher. That’s why Brownsville Station captured that and put it in a song!

Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images