Listening to music while studying is a common practice for many students. Many claim that listening to their favorite tunes helps them concentrate better. Yet does music aid or impede learning? And does it make a difference what kind of music you’re listening to while studying? We’ll examine the issue in this article.
Let’s dive right into it!
Listening to music while accomplishing specific assignments has various advantages. Potentially stimulating and uplifting, it can improve mood (picture yourself listening to your favorite song with an ear-to-ear grin). However, people have long debated whether it can assist students in learning new or challenging content.
You might have heard of the “Mozart effect” – a theory that listening to Mozart’s music can considerably improve one’s IQ scores. Numerous studies have demonstrated that listening to 10 minutes of Mozart helped participants perform better on a variety of cognitive tests.
While listening to music before a task can definitely make you feel better, it doesn’t necessarily help you learn new things. Listening to music (especially with lyrics) can eat up a lot of memory space, leaving little room for new knowledge that requires complete attention to be successfully digested. For instance, if you’re trying to raise your writing game through analyzing professional essay services review, it is better to dedicate your full attention to the task at hand or choose music without strong beats or voices.
So, unless you’re a prodigy whose brain can absorb multiple things at once, it’s probably best to listen to music before you study rather than while completing an important assignment.
Have you ever worked on an assignment you don’t like, only to be driven insane by a classmate sniffing incessantly or sipping tea? When attempting to focus on something your brain doesn’t necessarily appreciate, anything seemingly trivial can become frustrating.
In such times, music can be really therapeutic. It generates non-intrusive noise and pleasant feelings to effectively counteract our unconscious tendency to distract us. The key here is to choose your background music wisely.
If you still can’t go about completing your tasks without accompanying music, don’t worry; a wise choice can actually help you.
You might struggle to retain knowledge if you listen to fast-paced rock music while working on your final paper. High-energy music genres popular among students may not be a great pick if you’re trying to focus on a challenging assignment. However, if you choose a more soothing melody, it can help you concentrate better.
If you’re working on something mundane and mechanical, on the other hand, upbeat music might be more appropriate. The secret lies in your ability to fit the music you listen to with the task at hand.
Listening to nature sounds while studying is one of the best ways to improve your concentration. While music with lyrics can often distract your attention, soft nature sounds of waterfalls and ocean waves can significantly calm your mind, boost your creativity and mental focus. Search for nature sounds on YouTube, SoundCloud, and other streaming services to find your perfect fit.
Carefully chosen music can help you concentrate and perform better at college. Opt for music that can help create a relaxing environment to help boost rather than lessen your mental focus. If you find that listening to music while completing tasks impairs your concentration, consider listening to Mozart before writing your final paper rather than during it. The key here, as in everything else, is to be mindful!
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Joanne Elliot is a self-taught musician and blogger. Among the many goals she hopes to achieve with her blogs is to raise awareness about the miscellaneous benefits of music and how it can improve our mood. Joanne also publishes blogs on psychology, education, art, and architecture.
Natalia is a Rap and Hip Hop enthusiast. After graduating from The New School of New York’s Public Relations Program and taking a course in Journalism at Michigan State University, she decided to dedicate her life to the music publishing business and to the discovery of new talent. She helps new artists gain exposure to the masses via online marketing and publications.
