Motivational Songs To See You Through The Semester

In life, we all face our own battles everyday. School is a mad hustle – catching up on missed lectures, rushing last-minute assignments, just trying to breathe. Our personal lives might be a mess too – broken relationships, career woes, health issues. While life might throw us lemons at times, it is up to us to make them taste sweet.

Here are some classic songs with motivational lyrics that can hopefully give you some encouragement and inspiration over these last few weeks of the semester.

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1. Fight Song by Rachel Platten

Of course, we have to start this list of motivational songs with Fight Song by Rachel Platten. This song will turn on all the power and drive you never knew you had inside of you with its upbeat and steady rhythm — great to keep up that momentum during the final hours before submission! This is especially so when you feel helpless and alone during an online semester of zoom classes and pandemic fatigue. As Platten sings it: “And I don't really care if nobody else believes, cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me.” Fight on!

2. Firework by Katy Perry

No one should feel like a waste of space or that they can easily be replaced. We are all unique and original with so much potential inside of us waiting to be unleashed. Just like fireworks in the night sky or the up-tempo beat of this song, we too can let the world be in awe of us when we choose to be bold and pursue our dreams. As Katy Perry sings it in her 2010 single Firework: “There's a spark in you, you just gotta ignite the light and let it shine!”

3. Stronger by Kelly Clarkson

“What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, what doesn't kill you makes a fighter!” As one of the most popular lines from one of Kelly Clarkson’s greatest hits Stronger, this song is truly the epitome of how seemingly bad experiences (like burning the midnight oil) will only shape you to be a stronger person mentally and emotionally. So yes, you are a fighter, and your trials will only make you stronger. (But please do watch out for your mental health too and seek help if needed)

4. Warrior by Avril Lavigne

What doesn’t kill you doesn’t just make you a fighter. According to Avril Lavgine’s Warrior, it makes you a warrior too. She sings: “I won't give up, I will survive, I'm a warrior… I will conquer, time after time. I'll never falter" with so much intense emotion that it can be encouraging for us as we enter a period of mad deadlines and crazy group projects. May we always remember that we are warriors and we will survive – as long as we don’t give up!

5. Hero by Mariah Carey

There are times when we might feel like failures, such as when we fail to get that A grade or that desired internship. Thankfully, Mariah Carey’s hit song Hero reminds us that we are our very own heroes when we look deep into our souls – “Look inside you and be strong and you'll finally see the truth that a hero lies in you.” The strength in Carey's voice shines through strongly and we are reminded that we too, have the strength to carry on, the strength to cast our fears away and the strength to have hope!

6. Masterpiece by Jessie J

At other times, we mess up real bad, we fall on our face and we can’t seem to colour inside the lines. But Jessie J assures us that it's all going to be okay in her 2014 song Masterpiece: “I'm perfectly incomplete, I'm still working on my masterpiece. You haven't seen the best of me.” She sings with much gusto and energy it's hard not to catch the bottomline of the track - don’t let a small mistake or bad grade get you down, we are all still working to be better versions of ourselves!

7. The Climb by Miley Cyrus

“There's always gonna be another mountain, I'm always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle, sometimes I'm gonna have to lose,” sings Miley Cyrus in The Climb. And she’s right. There will always be another assignment, and there’s always going to be another exam. Sometimes, we have to take a step back and live in the moment. In the grand scheme of things, a bad grade will seem so small and insignificant. She continues in the chorus: “Ain't about how fast I get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side. It's the climb.” Indeed, life is all about the journey, not the destination.

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May these fight songs encourage you to continue pressing on and going forward in whatever trials you’re facing. Got another motivational classic song you think is worthy to be on this list? Let us know in the comments below! 😁