Soundtrack to the Greatest Years: Songs That Defined My College Memories

Repeat Offenders editorial assistant Vidyani Wanigasekera lists and delves into the songs that best defined her time at college.

1.Double Vision by Ocean Alley

”Double Vision” is more than just a song; it’s a time capsule of unforgettable memories. I first heard it at Groovin with my best friends, huddled together, swaying to the rhythm, our arms entwined. I’ll never forget the feeling of belonging, the sense that everything would be alright because my best friends were holding me. 

“Now I feel, how I feel it's alright

Now I feel, how I feel it's alright

It's alright, it just feels like

Double vision”

The song is rich with layered instrumentation, creating a lush and immersive soundscape, thanks to Mitch Galbraith’s mesmerising guitar riffs, which make you feel like you are floating on a cloud. “Double Vision” has been a lifeline during tough times, transporting me back to that beautiful moment with my friends. It’s a constant reminder that no matter what I lose, I will always have a place to call home. 

2. Dreams by the Cranberries

Whenever “Dreams” plays, I’m instantly transported to driving down Herring road for the first time. It was a few hours after I landed in Australia and it's the road to Robert Menzies College (RMC), which was my home for the past three years. It’s so nostalgic, as it takes me back to a time when everything seemed simpler and more carefree. As my college days are coming to a close, this song stirs up memories of late night Maccas walks, every time my friends hold me in my arms, every kiss with the silly boys I liked and all the nights I stayed up doing assignments that I should have started sooner. It just makes me want to reminisce about all the great times I have shared with my friends whilst also saying goodbye to the end of an era. 

3. 3.15 by Bazzi

LOVE LOVE LOVE “3.15.” This song is such a banger, and it has so many great memories attached to it. It was a staple every time my friends and I would pregame before going out; it set the perfect vibe for the night. It also takes me back to one unforgettable night with a boy. 

Ted Mosby may have said that nothing good happens after 2AM, but some of my best memories occurred after 2AM, especially at 3.15. 

4. Ribs by Lorde

Listening to “Ribs” always reminds me of my high school friends and the feeling of always having a home to go back to. It’s a song that evokes a sense of nostalgia and belonging, reminding me of the carefree days and tight-knit friendships that made those years unforgettable. In college, whenever I felt homesick, putting on Ribs was like a warm hug, reminding me that, no matter how far I’ve come, I’ll always have a place to go back to. It’s been part of the soundtrack to my journey of growing up - both as the girl I used to be and the woman I became. Pure Heroine captures that transition, making me reflect on the girl I was then and the life I carry with me into adulthood.   

5.Long Live by Taylor Swift

“Long Live” is so reminiscent of my college years. It’s the song that plays in my highlight reel of the three greatest years of my life, the soundtrack to our greatest years and brightest moments. 

It’s every time Emelia and I stumbled back home drunk, every deep conversation with Flynn, every time Rohan tackled me, every hug with Bindi, every single hallway chat with Chloe. It’s every silly moment with Chris, every concert with Grace, every time I flirted with Jack, every time I geeked out with Dan, every time Charlie and I burst into song, every debate with Tees, and every late night chat with Ashley. They are my people and I hope they will be my people forever.

6. Love Story by Taylor Swift

“We were both young when I first saw you.” Those lyrics from Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” have always held a special place in my heart. It’s the first Taylor Swift song I ever listened to, and it’s been a constant companion ever since. Swift’s vocals are both powerful and vulnerable, conveying the intensity of the emotions she’s singing about. The orchestral arrangement adds a touch of grandeur and drama further enhancing the song’s impact. 

I love the feeling of hearing this at a club, surrounded by friends, singing the lyrics at the top of our lungs. Or being at home, lost in the music, trying to forget that you’re lonely. Or dancing with the boy that you like, your hands intertwined to your favourite song in the whole world.

Listening to this song is like stepping into a time machine, a wave of nostalgia washing over me as I relive my most cherished memories. The song’s familiar melody and lyrics create a comforting atmosphere, making me feel at home, even when I’m far away from the people and places I love. It’s a reminder that certain things never change, and that the power of music can transcend time and space. 

7.Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield

“Staring at the blank page before you” always sends chills down my body. This is one of the greatest songs ever made and it elicits so many emotions for me. 

I have always loved “Unwritten” ever since I first heard it in the end credits of the 2004 Disney film Ice Princess. I am proud to say that “Unwritten” has always been my song, it was my song before "Anyone But You" came out, so it actually belongs to me! I’m kidding (not really).

Whenever “Unwritten” starts to play, I’m the first person to scream the lyrics because it gives you hope that, no matter how bleak things might be, they will always get better. It has instilled hope in me on the days I didn’t want to leave my room, on the flights home when I needed comfort and it has been the background music to every happy moment in my life. 

8. Somewhere Only We Know by Keane

This song is a precious gem, cherished by many for its gut-wrenching beauty. To be able to connect with this song is a gift that I value deeply. It is a song that sits proudly in my hopeless romantic playlist, a bittersweet reminder of the boy I wish had stayed. 

Keane’s opening notes take me back to our greatest moments. We’re at Observatory Hill and we are looking at the sunset when we confessed our feelings for each other, we’re holding hands and running around Wynyard or sneaking into an art exhibit. It reminds me of our first kiss, our last kiss, a stolen moment in time. 

It also reminds me of the people that are the proud owners of my heart - my best friends. It’s the soundtrack to every car ride with Christopher, every picnic in Hyde Park with Chloe, every hug with Emelia and Bindi and every deep conversation with Flynn and Rohan. 

Tom Chaplin’s haunting vocals tug at your heartstrings, making you yearn for a time that you can never return to. That’s exactly what this song does - it makes you long for something you wish you still had.

9.End of Beginning by Djo

One memory that stands out is driving back to Macquarie after a weekend away with my friends. We passed by the familiar roads we used to walk and the buildings that have defined the past three years. Soon, these places will fade from our lives, becoming nothing more than memories of our younger, wilder selves. The roads to university will rarely be driven again, and the people in my life that have been recurring characters in my life will eventually drift away, forgotten. 

This song makes me yearn to turn back time to go back to the beginning of college when everything was so new and daunting. I was younger then, a lot more naïve and I had big dreams for how I wanted my life to look like. I imagined I’d coast through my first year, find a boyfriend in my second year and we would have this tumultuous relationship but we would eventually find our way back to each other. Instead, I had three failed situationships and two of them severely damaged my heart.Regardless of the heartbreaks and the heartaches, I would still go back in time and do it all over again because now I’m at the end of beginning and I wish I could go back to the start of it all. 

10.. Teenage Dream by Katy Perry

I’m ending this list with a silly song tied to a lovely memory. We are in Flynn’s room after a very long, exhausting day, and we decide to play teenage dream. It’s one of our songs; we know every word, and we even have a little dance routine. Flynn, Bindi and I are perfectly in sync, spinning around, laughing without a care in the world. At that moment, I thought to myself, “I have never had friends like this, I have never made memories like this.” They make me feel like I’m living in a teenage dream and I hope that, even when I’m 30, they still make me feel this way.