Exam Crisis Playlist

For those days that Cambridge gets you down, never fear, The Tab is always here. Like a big, fluffy, cuddly online teddybear, we will soothe and comfort you with songs that echo your despair.

Paradise – Coldplay

“When she was just a girl, she expected the world.”

Ah, Cambridge. The land of dreams, the pinnacle of human ambition – where optimism goes to die.

Once inside The Bubble, you’ll definitely be dreaming of Para-para-paradise…

 

I see Fire – Ed Sheeran (The Hobbit)

Cambridge during Easter term is a battle. Forget the desolation of Smaug, this is the desolation of the library. You will see the fire of stress burning everyone around you; “hollowed souls” in the halls and buttery and you wonder if you will get that treasure. You might, she might. Maybe the guy who always sits in the corner of the library will.

But… maybe not.

“If we should die tonight, then we should all die together.”

Pain – Three Days Grace

We have all felt the pain of isolation in Easter (if you haven’t, Tim Squirrel can enlighten you [link]). Stuck between being a hermit in your room or a perambulating insomniac in the library, you will be devoid of any human contact. And it hurts.

But there is a purpose for your suffering: you are at Cambridge. No pain, no gain. We’d rather be here than anywhere else because we “like it rough” and, obviously, “we can’t get enough”.

And hey, maybe one day all your pain will seem worthwhile. Cling to that.

 

Help – The Beatles

‘When I was younger, I never needed anybody’s help’ – that’s a memory now. Cling onto it. You’re on your own, you’re struggling and you need help now. Never fear, look no further: the Tab is here to get you through the day. We’ll get your feet back on the ground.

One Day More – Les Miserables

“This never ending road to Calvary” – your exams may not be as dramatic as the crucifixion of Christ but nobody will blame you for feeling like it. Like the students of Paris you too can rise – and be shot down by Javert (or the exam board) all the same.

“Tomorrow we’ll discover what our God in heaven has in store” – well, maybe you don’t want to.

The Rains of Castamere

Behold, the dangers of pride: don’t tell yourself you’re getting that first… until you’ve actually seen it in black and white. Just as lesser mortals may never challenge Tywin Lannister, so are we beholden to the lecturers of Cambridge. Just wait for results day to be your very own Red Wedding.

“And now the rains weep o’er his hall, and not a soul to hear”

 

If I ever Feel Better – Phoenix

They say an end can be start, but I think most of us feel like we’re buried alive. It feels like the chaos around us is just a long, bad day that never ends. There are things in life we simply cannot control (especially in humanities with all those glorious essays and their endless subjectivity) – the rules changed and we need to face the requirements of the exam halls.

“Too many tears have had to fall, don’t you know I’m so tired of it all?”

Well, hopefully May Week will make up for it!

 

Time To Say Goodbye – Andrea Bocelli

Well, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.

After exams and Post-May week you’ll experience the ‘Cambridge Withdrawal’. You’ll return to your mediocre life outside the Black Tie and Champagne bubble, have your brain fried by day-time reality television and begin to miss the bittersweet moments shared with Marx and Maxwell. Being apart from your comrades will be painful, but you’ll see them again for the next battle (unless you’re graduating. Which is a shame.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl9WMIPzd6w

 

Got any suggestions? The Tab is always here to listen.