We all love listening to music. Whether you’re into pop, rock, indie, acoustic, or lo-fi music, there’s bound to be a genre out there that simply makes you feel good. But, how helpful is music for studying? According to published data, music that contains lyrics generally leads to poor memorization while studying, with music also having a distracting effect for introverts.
Listening to music without any lyrics, such as the aforementioned lo-fi music or instrumental tracks, can thus be more helpful for studying. Before we go any further, what are the perks of listening to music for students?
- Improved mood and wellbeing
- Re-energize yourself while exercising
- Socialization opportunities (parties, etc.)
- Reduced stress, anxiety, and depression
Is music ultimately a good addition to studying or is it a distraction you should aim to eliminate before working on an important paper? Does music have a universal effect on all of us or is the answer to the question more nuanced and subjective than it might appear at first?
Learning How to Multitask
One of the biggest challenges most students face during the semester is how to cope with the mounting pressure of multiple assignments, projects, and exams coming up. Multitasking isn’t easy and it’s nigh impossible for some students. However, listening to music while engaging in these projects and study activities can alleviate their stress somewhat.
This is because music affects the students’ mood and encourages positive thinking. This is especially true for motivational tracks with upbeat music and lyrics which encourage individuals to do their best. While listening to this kind of music while studying isn’t helpful, listening to it in between study sessions or while exercising can indeed help.
Students can also check out the best Grab My Essay reviews to get some of their assignments written and turned in ahead of the deadline, allowing them to focus on other projects instead. Music can help students not only multitask but believe in themselves and their academic abilities far more than they could with silence to accompany their study sessions.
Memory Stimulation
Associating certain lyrics, musical beats, and tracks with certain study materials, terminology, or facts can indeed make studying a lot easier. Listening to music while reading important college literature can help students associate one with the other. This can help individuals to memorize specific words, sentences, or entire paragraphs by recalling the instance when they listened to a certain song or track.
Memorization by association is a powerful tool that students can take great advantage of by using it as a cognitive tool to encourage their long-term memory receptors. In the longer term, listening to music in this manner can help improve students’ brain health and help them avoid diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer’s.
The so-called Earworm phenomenon is closely tied to how our perception works when facing cognitive challenges, studying is one of the most demanding ones for our brains. All you need to do to get started on reaping these benefits is to have your headphones or smartphone device close by and have it play your favorite tracks while working on your college assignments.
Embracing Music While Studying
Whether you’re a junior working their way through their first batch of exams or a senior working on creative writing or their thesis, music can indeed help you get work done faster. Keep in mind that the genre that works for one person may not work for you. Try out different genres such as instrumental soundtracks to your favorite movies or games, or different synth waves or low-fidelity sub-genres before settling for what works best.
You’re encouraged to mix things up and not stick to one genre when you find what works so that your brain remains equally stimulated over longer periods. Music can truly be a student’s best friend – all that matters is that you discover what vibes with your musical sensibilities.
Bio: Joanne Elliot is a professional copywriter with a knack for writing essays, case studies, and research papers. She loves working on topics covering everything from academic development, business trends, digital marketing, and others. Joanne tends to spend her free time outdoors where she loves to journal about her personal and professional experiences.
