Music - Studying with Soundtracks Playlist

I love music, but when I'm trying to study, and I need to stay awake AND be on task, I can't listen to music with lyrics. The solution - movie soundtracks. No, not just any movie soundtracks - I'm not suggesting you should listen to the themes from E.T. or Jaws - John Williams is all the same, anyhow. Listening to good, original soundtracks can help set the pace for studying. Plus, the musical cues tend to invigorate your work, since they make it seem like your essay or problem set will determine the fate of mankind. Below, you'll find my "Studying with Soundtracks Playlist."

Kick it off with Clint Mansell's "Welcome to Lunar Industries" from the film 2009 Moon. Its relentless beat will make you get to work.

Next, listen to the Chromatics' "Tick of the Clock," most famously featured in the 2011 Ryan Gosling vehicle, (pun intended) Drive. A sleek beat bookends some electronic chords, combining action with serenity.

Transition to John Powell's "Bourne On Land" and "Treadstone Assasins" from The Bourne Identity - if you don't feel like a secret agent, then they aren't working.

Then it's time for bombast. Hans Zimmer's "Dream is Collapsing" from Inception and Clint Mansell's "Lux Aeterna" will heighten the tension and the struggle of your work, certainly raising the stakes.

Groove back into the beat with David Arnold and Michael Price's "The Game is On," otherwise known as the Sherlock theme song.

Then move from London to France, as you listen to the Yann Tierson's "La Noyee" and "La Dispute" from Amelie.

Travel back to 1940s America and listen to Jerry Goldsmith's "Noah Cross" from Chinatown.

Attain a more orchestral feel as you listen to Tom Tykwer and Johnny Klimek's "Cloud Atlas Sextet for Orchestra."

Finally, listen to two tracks from Clint Mansell's score from The Fountain - "Death is the Road to Awe" and "Together We Will Live Forever." If those titles don't grab you, wait till you listen to the music. They'll knock your socks off.

If you haven't finished your homework by then, then just hit replay and get right back to business.