When I get assigned a paper or have to study for a test, it's pretty common knowledge among my friends that it's not going to get started any earlier than 11 pm the night before. I'm the king of procrastination (no, seriously — I'd rather organize my socks than do my work) so it's just the way it goes.

One thing that gets me going and gets me through assignments like this are iTunes playlists. If I leave it on shuffle, that's just one more thing for me to mess with ("I'm sick of this song." "This is wack." "How is this even on my computer?!) so playlists are a necessity. For me, some laid-back R&B and hip-hop is usually the route to go to get me calmed down, settled in and ready to write. They're usually a few hours long so that I can put it on shuffle each time I play them and don't get too tired of them quickly. Artists like Common, Mary J., D'Angelo, Musiq and Amy Winehouse make up these joints.

Then there's the party playlist. I'm pretty much a control freak when I'm having a function at my party. If I were a real DJ I would love to spin but the least I can do is make a fat collection of jams to keep the mood up. (If you're wondering, I do do mixtapes, let me know if you need my services).

I guess my point in writing this entry is to see what everyone else makes playlists for. Studying, working out, etc. Let me know what gets you amped for doing schoolwork, for partying, etc. Drop 10 songs from your favorite playlist in the comments and let us know why. Maybe I'll even steal some of yours for my own collection.

– J from the Bay