Benefits of Listening to Music While Studying
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Lily Kurhajec
As the semester draws to a close, it's time for students to study for their end of the year exams. Studying for a semester’s worth of topics can be very challenging, so a tip to make this easier is to listen to music while reviewing. Listening to music has a multitude of studying benefits and it’s an easy trick to make such a difficult task easier. While the “Mozart effect,” the idea that music could enhance intelligence, has been refuted, listening to music while studying still holds many cognitive benefits.
Ease Student Anxiety
One benefit of listening to music is that it is proven to relieve stress. Research discovers that listening to soothing music can decrease blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety levels in heart patients therefore tackling anxiety (UMD Medical Center). In one study of over 950 critically ill patients, 30 minutes of music a day was consistently associated with lower rates of anxiety and stress (National Library of Medicine). Music can improve your sleep by relaxing your body, thus making you less stressed.
Listening to your desired music is comforting and helps to soothe test anxiety. To maintain the low stress environment while studying, make sure that the music you choose is calming music. Refrain from listening to music that is aggressive, which will counter the relaxing environment.
Improve Concentration
Certain types of music can help you have better performance and focus. Music helps you concentrate because it blocks out other distractions. It also helps to sharpen the brain’s ability to recall information and make connections. Listening to enjoyable music makes the task at hand more engaging, less dull, and easier to concentrate on.
Eliminating boredom is one of the most important things to do while studying because as we all know, it can get really boring. When you are spending hours on your study revision, it is important to keep your motivation high. That way, you will be able to complete your planned study revision effectively. Finding the right playlist to listen to can improve your motivation. While creating this playlist, you should avoid listening to loud or agitated music because it can have adverse effects on reading comprehension and on mood, making focus more challenging.
Types of Music
The type of listening music varies on individual preference, but the type that holds the most value for studying is classical music. For homework in general, any music that will keep you focused on the task and not consistently distracted by your phone will work; however studying requires more concentration. Classical music creates a calm and serene environment for students to peacefully study. Similar to classical, others find nature sounds to be a calming background noise. Nature sounds are known for increasing concentration levels and keeps the listener’s mind engaged at a more subconscious level. The calming nature of both these music styles can help you be calmer and more peaceful for sleep as well.
Basic Tips
Plan your playlist in advance
Avoid spending hours creating your playlist-- studying comes first
As long as it works for you, go ahead and listen to whatever genre of music you choose
Use your playlist as a way to time breaks in your studying
Make sure the music isn’t too loud and remains in the background of your studying
Refrain from aggressive music that can counter your peaceful environment
Playlist Ideas
Luckily, if you're struggling to find a good playlist, music apps such as apple music makes it easy to find a good playlist. Check out the playlist featured in this article for more ideas.
References
Is it Good to Listen to Music While Studying? | Study.com
Does Music Help You Study: Science Says There Are Many Benefits (fnu.edu)
How Music Reduces Stress & Anxiety | ASCAP, wellness, mental health
Can Listening to Music Reduce Stress? Research, Benefits, and Genres (psychcentral.com)
