We are almost there, Wildcats. We have almost made it through the semester. Finals will soon arrive, and after that the bliss of summer break awaits. Not really, since most of us will probably soon be bogged down with summer school, work or internships, but at least we can dream of a relaxing summer vacation. Still, summer is almost here, so we might as well get in the mood. Listening to any of these songs will have you imagining yourself relaxing by the pool or slaving away at your summer job, depending on which fate awaits you for the next few months.

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1. “Doin’ Time” by Sublime

This song puts you in the summer mood right from the first line of “summertime and the living’s easy.” The rest of the song may not have a ton to do with summer, but the opening line perfectly sums up the season. It’s summer break, let’s live easy.

2. “Never Let You Go” by Third Eye Blind

Third Eye Blind represents the epitome of a college band. The band’s music shines with the hopeful glow of youth and every single lyric puts the listener in the mood to have a good time. If only college really was just a Third Eye Blind song. This track is especially appropriate because once August rolls around, most of us will remember just how hard it is to let go of summer.

3. “Paradise City” by Guns N’Roses

This classic rock track is a perfect tune for summer, summing up the ideal summer experience in just one line: “Take me down to the paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty.” Is it possible to have a better summer than that?

4. “Always Where I Need To Be” by The Kooks

The catchy pop-rock style of indie band The Kooks lends itself well to the summer ear. This song reminds one of that childish summer love that was not meant to be: “I am always where I need to be, and I always thought I would end up with you eventually.” This song is a go-to for some quick summer romance therapy.

5. “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Summer is the perfect time of year to do some much-needed shopping. You can upgrade your wardrobe and try out some new styles before getting back to school and realizing how much money you wasted. Or, you can listen to Macklemore and spend your summer shopping days at the thrift shop. Macklemore: the world’s smartest celebrity shopper.

6. “A-Punk” by Vampire Weekend

Lead singer Ezra Koenig and the rest of Vampire Weekend will surely pump you up from May-August. With the band’s uppity beats and indie rock feel, they successfully capture what it feels like to be on summer break.

7. “Blister in the Sun” by Violent Femmes

There are few songs that better capture the essence of summer than this one. It has an unexplainable summer quality that can only be understood by listening to it. The lyric “let me go on like I blister in the sun” may not make a lot of sense, but it has been lighting up summer vacations since before most of us were even born.

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8. “Coming Home” by Kaiser Chiefs

This song makes the list largely because its title is literally what many of us will do after our last final. You guessed it, we will go home. Maybe that home is here in Tucson, maybe in Phoenix, or maybe its hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Regardless, summer is a great chance to enjoy some time at whatever place it is that you call home.

9. “Island in the Sun” by Weezer

It is difficult to even imagine a better summer than the one described by Weezer in this song: “On an island in the sun, we’ll be playing and having fun.” Plus, the song is incredibly catchy and contains a guitar riff that will remain stuck in your head long after summer break ends.

10. “School’s Out” by Alice Cooper

With this song, the title just about says it all. Thank you, Mr. Cooper. Make sure to walk out of your last final blasting this song on high volume so everyone around can listen. “School’s out for summer, school’s out forever!” We can only dream Alice, we can only dream.

These tracks will surely put you in the summer mood and give you that last little push to finish out the semester strong. Listen to one of these each day for the next few weeks and you will definitely pass your finals. You should probably also study though.

Follow Alec Kuehnle on Twitter.