It’s a late May evening, and the clock reads 12 a.m. sharp. You’re hunched at your desk, surrounded by mountains of notes, books and AP exam guides. A bead of sweat runs down your tired face. Despite the ungodly hour, the tension in the air is high; your college future is at stake here.

Anyone in an Advanced Placement class knows about the dreaded AP weeks — those first two weeks of May dedicated to one grueling exam after another, where the accumulation of all the facts, knowledge, blood, sweat and tears from this year’s AP classes are put to the ultimate test. Will you score a 1, 2, 3, 4, or a 5? Who knows? Time’s running tight. Fortunately, music has the power to help you study and focus. In a study conducted by Northwest University discovered that listening to music activates both hemispheres of the brain, enhancing memory and learning. Hopefully, this playlist of calm, focused songs will fuel you through the rest of your midnight cram session.

Let’s get the (study) party started! A fast, fresh beat is the perfect remedy to wave off those cobwebs of exhaustion. Get pumped. It’s going to be a long night.

“Midnight”, M83

“Dancing in the Moonlight”, King Harvest

“September”, Earth, Wind, and Fire

You’re on fire. Notes after notes, study guide after study guide, practice essay after practice essay, you’re making progress. You take a sip from your 20th cup of joe to keep your sanity. Keep on going!

“Academia”, Sia

“Cool Blue”, Japanese House

“Team”, Lorde

“Titanium”, David Guetta

“Pompeii”, Bastille

By now it’s well into morning, but you’ve studied what you needed, and you’re ready to go to bed. Several hundred empty coffee cups litter your desk. Of course, there’ll be more studying later, but don’t worry about that for now. Turn off the lights. Wind down. Sleep. You deserve the break.

“Cool Kids (Unplugged Version)”, Chris Call

“The Night We Met”, Lord Huron

“I Go to Sleep”, Sia

“Midnight”, Coldplay