Taking the plunge of study abroad brings about many events and emotions for students and packing a pair of headphones can help bring you back to surface. Music can serve as a soundtrack to battling\u00a0the chaos of travel, transit, countless tourists and complicated feelings.<\/p>\n
The State News has compiled a playlist of songs to accompany that journey as students navigate long rides on public transportation, take day trips, visit famous landmarks and settle into their new home away from home.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Passenger\u201d by Iggy Pop<\/p>\n
While study abroad takes you out of your element, Iggy Pop\u2019s iconic \u201cThe Passenger\u201d transforms that feeling from something scary into something freeing. Throughout different verses, Pop identifies himself, another person \u201chim,\u201d and a collective \u201cwe,\u201d as the passenger(s) who \u201cride and ride.\u201d He recounts the same experiences for each tale: there are good experiences, \u201ceverything looks good tonight,\u201d which go hand in hand with the bad, \u201cthe city\u2019s ripped backsides.\u201d While a passenger and witnessing the depth of being somewhere new, he comes to realize \u201ceverything was made for you and me\u201d and \u201cit just belongs to you and me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
And in this upbeat trip of life and movement, he thirsts for more with the lines of \u201cso let\u2019s take a ride and see what\u2019s mine.\u201d The thumping of the tambourine and the drums keep the story mobile and serves as the song’s constant reminder that things are only what you make of them.<\/p>\n
In the spirit of \u201cThe Passenger,\u201d students take advantage of their newfound international freedom and venture off to find experiences once unknown. One MSU\u00a0student,\u00a0communication leadership and strategy senior Katherine Goble, hiked, went on a ferry and ate dinner with locals in Norway.<\/p>\n
The experiences were \u201cmagical,\u201d Goble said, \u201cI felt so lucky to have this unique experience where two cultures come together as one.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Tomorrow\u201d by Blur<\/p>\n
Anyone visiting the United Kingdom will need to listen to Oasis and Blur \u2014 that\u2019s just the rule. Put aside the rivalry between the two of the biggest names in Britpop and listen to their biggest hits to soundtrack your rides in the Tube. While each have their fair share of must-listen classics, they also have some deeper cuts that give weight to the more hidden emotions involved in going abroad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While Blur\u2019s \u201cParklife\u201d is an obvious choice, \u201cFor Tomorrow” navigates the in between of fear and hope. The repeated line \u201cholding on for tomorrow\u201d comes after many mentions of \u201ctrying not to be sick again\u201d and \u201cholding on for dear life.\u201d The optimistic instrumentals and Damon Albarn\u2019s singing style keep the mood light while the lyrics give listeners peek behind the curtain to the deeper fears and uncertainty that come along for the ride.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That adjustment period is a common occurrence for students studying abroad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Psychology senior Myles Reeves said that traveling alone was \u201cscary at first but after some time I got used to the feeling and decided to travel solo more even after meeting new friends.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHalf the World Away\u201d by Oasis<\/p>\n
For many, studying abroad is the first big trip they’ve taken. Some have never traveled outside the country or their state beforehand.<\/p>\n
That journey across the world is quite literally described by Oasis\u2019 \u201cHalf the World Away.\u201d The mental, and geographical, push and pull of the situation are echoed by, \u201cmy body feels young but my mind is very old,\u201d while the line, \u201cI\u2019ve been lost, I\u2019ve been found but I don\u2019t feel down.\u201d The lyrics address the melancholic feelings of leaving somewhere and arriving somewhere new, leaving you \u201chalf the world away\u201d from what you used to know.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Goble challenged herself \u201cbeyond anything (she) had ever done before\u201d with her study abroad by navigating a foreign city, different transportation system and a language barrier. She did it all by herself and said it was \u201cexhausting but so rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMis-Shapes\u201d by Pulp<\/p>\n
Outside of the location change, a big part of going abroad is the people. The opportunity may or may not come along with a predetermined group of friends also from MSU or meeting up with other groups along the way, but in either case, students are bound to meet new people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pulp\u2019s \u201cMis-Shapes,\u201d brings to life that collective bond between young people of different backgrounds with a hunger for more. The story draws clear differences, \u201cwe don\u2019t look the same as you and we don\u2019t do the things you do, but we live \u2018round here too,\u201d and similarities, \u201cbrothers, sisters, can\u2019t you see? The future\u2019s owned by you and me,\u201d and \u201cwe\u2019re making a move, we\u2019re making it now.\u201d The duality and passion of the empathic tale make it a perfect dancing anthem for anyone finding their place among many in a shared experience like going abroad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reeves describes connecting with various people from all around the world, in Europe, Asia and Africa, some of his favorite moments while abroad.<\/p>\n
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\u201cBeing able to hear about the differences and similarities to our countries has made me realize that even though we are miles apart, our lives can still be similar,\u201d Reeves said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLucky Man\u201d by The Verve<\/p>\n
The lasting impact that study abroad evokes can be encapsulated in The Verve\u2019s \u201cLucky Man.\u201d The soulful ballad speaks from the perspective of someone who is still learning, much like a student after going abroad. The rawness in the song\u2019s writing can be seen in the \u201clove that never dies\u201d as well as, \u201cit\u2019s just a change in me, something in my liberty.\u201d Throughout it, Richard Ashcroft repeats that he is a \u201clucky man.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This significant shift can be seen through first-year journalism graduate student Shealyn Paulis\u2019 trip to Peru in 2024. Paulis loved the experience so much that she secured an MSU graduate research position based in Peru.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis trip was incredible in every way possible, we were fully immersed in the culture and language,\u201d Paulis said. \u201c(It) was an unforgettable experience I would repeat in a heartbeat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sentiment is shared by Reeves, who credited the experience with making him \u201cmore open to talking to people and learning about new cultures.\u201d<\/p>\n
Goble said her trip \u201copened (her) eyes to what is possible and (she) will feel more comfortable jet-setting across the world in the future for further explorations.\u201d<\/p>\n
This five-track assortment\u00a0was selected to accompany the adventure of going abroad and provide a backdrop for the life-changing trip that you are bound to reference for the rest of time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n Discussion\n <\/p>\n
Share and discuss \u201c5 songs to add to your study abroad playlist this summer\u201d on social media.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Taking the plunge of study abroad brings about many events and emotions for students and packing a pair…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":765144,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[88,216],"class_list":["post-765143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/765143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=765143"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/765143\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/765144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=765143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=765143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=765143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}