For students scrambling to prepare for midterms, the perfect study set-up includes several different components: a caffeinated drink of choice, a snuggly pair of sweatpants and most importantly the perfect study soundtrack. To help students avoid study slumps, The Daily Texan compiled a list of perfect movie soundtracks — featuring minimal words and maximal vibes — to accompany any coffee shop study group or late-night cramming session.  

Tron: Legacy (2010)

French electronic duo Daft Punk created their first and only movie soundtrack in 2010 to accompany sci-fi epic “Tron: Legacy.” Jam-packed with the group’s signature synthesizers, as well as wind and string instruments traditionally found in most movie scores, the 31-song album provides over one hour of intense motivation. Daft Punk never missed the mark when infusing their music with energetic tempos and futuristic reverberations, and this soundtrack makes no exception. For a hard-core study session, this soundtrack will take any essay from 25 to 2500 words in no time at all.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

For a more relaxed, early-morning atmosphere, Dario Marianelli’s soundtrack for the modernized retelling of “Pride & Prejudice” makes for perfect low-intensity studying. Clocking in at 17 songs and a 40-minute playtime, the score finds an exquisite balance between joyous and melancholy, all while showcasing the beautiful piano accompaniment of French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Fans of classical music will find most success when studying alongside the musical manifestations of one of literature’s most famous pieces.

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

John Powell’s noisy and busy contribution to Dreamwork’s dulcet discography carved its own place in movie score history. Featuring high-energy arrangements of bagpipes, “How to Train Your Dragon” makes a great choice when even a triple-shot latte will not suffice to push through hundreds of pages of reading to be completed. Boasting 46 million streams on Spotify alone, “Test Drive” delivers an especially great addition to study playlists. In the event a student finds themselves speeding through the one-hour-twelve-minute duration of this soundtrack, they can simply find their way to Powell’s other “Dragon” works, which total over three-and-a-half hours of listening pleasure. 

Inside Out (2015)

Pixar movies and midterms share one special ability — bringing students to tears. Thankfully, the “Inside Out” soundtrack will not generate as many tears as its on-screen counterpart; the same cannot be said for certain study materials. American composer Michael Giacchino created a rather joyous score for an emotional tale with fast-paced numbers full of high-pitched percussion, lots of pizzicato and a fairly uplifting studying experience. Students will benefit from allowing the joyous tones of this soundtrack to guide their own emotions while studying, hopefully soothing some of the stressors of midterm season.

Listen to the soundtracks on Spotify here.