Going to college in the South is quite the experience. Between football games, Southern frat boys in their lifted trucks, and the all-around Southern charm that the South of the Mason Dixon has to offer. The atmosphere of a Southern university is quite unique.
Whether or not you are a listener of country music, going to school in the South can be described perfectly with these 16 country songs.
1. "Everything's Gonna be Alright" by David Lee Murphy and Kenny Chesney
Sometimes it seems as if everything is falling apart. Your grades are struggling, you are exhausted, and you are attempting to try to stay healthy while also maintaining somewhat of a social life. Sometimes it takes everything you have to crawl out of bed in the mornings and drag yourself to class, but I promise you that in the end, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright". Thanks for the motivation Mr. Murphy.
2. "Five More Minutes" by Scotty McCreery
Scotty said it right when he said he wanted Five More Minutes. Being a North Carolina native, Scotty knows the vibe of walking around a southern university's campus, attending football games, and nights with friends. Being in my last semester of college is definitely making me wish I had just Five More Minutes.
3. "Cowboy Take me Away" by The Dixie Chicks
All these southern college girls are just out here hoping that some blue-eyed cowboy is going to sweep them off their feet. I love the Wrangler jeans, the Ariat boots, and the slack in their jaw just as much as the next girl but the unfortunate reality is that we are all out here looking for our cowboys in a sea of frat guys.
4. "My Next Thirty Years" By Tim McGraw
Everyone goes to college in hopes to get a degree and land their dream job but in reality, no one really knows what the next thirty years will hold. Plans have a way of changing in the blink of an eye and we have no clue what's going to happen next year, next month, or even tomorrow. Regardless of what might happen, Tim McGraw says that after we conquer our adolescence fears, we can do it better in our next thirty years and I think that's pretty good motivation if you ask me.
5. "The Boys of Fall" by Kenny Chesney
Football season is a magical time at any southern university. Watching those boys of fall mud wrestle in their tight pants with their buff bodies is quite an art form if you ask me. But really, from tailgating to pulling on your cowboy boots and throwing on your over-sized jersey to riding in the back of a pickup to get to the game, football season in the South is an unmatched tradition.
6. "Tequila" by Dan + Shay
Tequila. We've all been there. Enough said.
7. "Jesus take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood
As fun as college can be, sometimes it downright sucks. Sometimes you just need to put faith in the hands of God and let Jesus Take the Wheel. Let just hope he's holding that wheel at 10 and 2 because I need all the help I can get right now.
8. "Red Solo Cup" by Toby Keith
Dipping PJ out of a bathtub with a Red Solo Cup isn't exactly my dream but it was free and the frat guys looked pretty cute in their button ups and khakis. It wasn't my drink of choice but it did its job. All you could do was hope that you didn't get the bottom of the PJ tub because even though those frat guys assured you that the PJ was made with the highest quality aristocrat had to offer, it still tasted like straight jet fuel mixed with a little Hi-C.
9. "Some Girls" by Jameson Rogers
Breakups. Chances are we've all been there at some point. Everyone gets over them differently. Maybe you call your mom? Maybe you kill a couple bottles of wine with the girls? Maybe you call your ex? However you get through your hard times, I promise you are going to survive the hard times and hard breakups.
10. "Two Black X's" by Dylan Schneider
Maybe the luxury of a fake ID wasn't within the realm of possibility for you because of not having the resources or maybe because, like me, your parents would have killed you if they found out. The under 21 life was quite the adventure as you entered the club with Two Black X's on your hands in hopes to flirt some guy into buying you a vodka cran because it was the only drink you actually knew to order. Maybe you were lucky enough to have an over 21 friend that could sneak you a bud light in the bathroom or maybe you knew the bouncer. For many people those Two Black X's were a way of life for the first three years of college.
11. "I Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash
A Johnny Cash classic had to make the list right? Johnny might have been talking about a woman but I'm talking about a degree. Because that degree is mine, I walk the line. Sometimes that line is staying up until 2am studying, maybe that line is stretching yourself thin to try and be involved in clubs and extracurricular activities, regardless, we are all walking the line with the goal of having a degree in our hands in just a few short years.
12. "Bartender" by Lady Antebellum
Hey Bartender. How you doin? Sometimes we all just need a night out with our friends. We all just want to get a little lost in the noise and dance to the disco ball until last call. After your fifth round and when the lights finally come on, you head home with your girls because these are the nights we won't remember with the people we will never forget.
13. "On My Way to You" by Cody Johnson
All the good songs seem to talk about love and relationships and Cody Johnson hit the nail on the head when he said he was on his way to his girl. Aren't we all ultimately just on a journey to find the love of our life? College may not be the best place to find love, but it hasn't stopped any of us from trying.
14. "David Ashley Parker from Powder Springs" by Travis Denning
We've all been there. We've either used or watched a friend use a fake ID to get into a dirty downtown bar where the bouncers never really look at the picture anyway. Maybe you paid for your fake or maybe you found it on the floor the last time you were at that dirty bar and you just happened to look like the picture, regardless you were sure to memorize every detail and scratch the picture just a little before you left the pregame.
15. "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks
College brings out your real friends. You may reconnect with an old friend from high school or unexpectedly find your soul mate in the dorm room beside yours. Regardless, college is where you find your best friends, you future bridesmaids/groomsmen, and the people who stick with you through some of the lowest (and highest) points in your life.
16. "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus
Most college students are at a very awkward place when it comes to relationships. You have either met the love of your life or you're blacked out in a bar because you are so upset that your last hookup doesn't love you like they said they did. Everyone either has an Achy Breaky Heart or is praying they don't get one.
There's an endless number of songs that could probably describe going to college, but there is something about going to a southern university that is an experience like no other. Take a listen to this playlist and take a moment to reflect back on your college years. The memories made throughout college are memories that we will all cherish forever and even if you never went to college, chances are you've probably still experienced some of these moments at some point.
If you want to listen to all these songs that perfectly describe going to the school in the South but don't want to go through the effort of making a playlist, don't worry I've got you covered.